Remembering Yesterday
by Animemyster
Summary: Sometimes growing up means letting go of the things you care about. One fateful day Link is called away for training; when he returns four years later, how much will life in Hyrule have changed? Zelink. First fanfic, yay!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey guys! Okay, this is my first fanfiction ever publicly displayed, so I hope I don't screw it up! x_X This is just a short introductory chapter to a story I'm working on in my head; I probably won't continue it immediately cause I am a busy university student, but I thought I'd try my hand at fanfiction, so here it is! *fanfare music plays* Er, I don't own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters, but I do enjoy making them do amusing thigs.

* * *

It was a peaceful afternoon in Hyrule. The sky was a pleasant blue and warm rays from the sun created a sunny atmosphere for the townspeople. A distance away from Castle Town in Hyrule Field, two figures were oblivious to the hustle and bustle; one figure, a male, was occupied with conducting intricate sword moves within the circle of a wooden fence. The other, a slightly shorter female, watched with interest from her position along the enclosure.

"I tried it once, you know," she announced suddenly, for a moment distracted from his training.

"Tried what?" Link stopped and turned towards her curiously, letting his sword arm fall to his side. Zelda looked to the side amusedly.

"Being left-handed. I was convinced I could do it." She pretended to wave an invisible sword through the air. "I'm rather embarrassed by the results I got. I even tried writing with my left hand for three weeks. My tutors were horrified." A rather smug look crossed her face at the memory. Zelda looked over at him again. "I would have kept trying, but they threatened me with extra hours if I didn't stop." Her face changed from amused to annoyed. Link cracked up and let out a booming laugh.

"And we both know that there's nothing you hate more than being cooped up in your lessons, princess," he joked with fake formality.

"I hate not getting my way," she mumbled, a childish pout plastered on her face. Link laughed again.

"Perhaps you do hate that more," he flashed a boyish grin her way before returning to his practice session. Zelda smiled and returned to leaning against the wooden beams separating them. They spent many of their afternoons this way when Zelda could escape from lessons or meetings. Both enjoyed partaking in the many conversations they shared. Link did a final combination of crisp sword strikes before sheathing his sword. He trodded over to the fence and leaned against the wood opposite to Zelda, a few feet down from her. Sweat beads trickled down his forehead and clung to his muddy blonde hair. Link sighed quietly and closed his striking blue eyes.

"I received word today from some soldiers. It seems I've caught the general's eye." Zelda's ears pricked up but she said nothing. "He wants to send me away for formal training, to really perfect my swordsmanship," Link continued, now becoming uncomfortable by the princess's silence.

"…How long?" she finally asked, not letting any hint of remorse show in her voice. Link looked down uncomfortably.

"Four years," he replied shortly while shifting his weight to the right leg. "At least." Zelda looked at the ground while trying to remain composed.

"…That long?" she managed to whisper; he nodded once. He jumped back in surprise when Zelda ran over and threw her arms around him. "I don't want you to go, Link! You're my best friend!"

"Zelda…" Link gently eased her arms from his neck and pushed her back to face her. "You will be turning sixteen soon. As princess you will have many things you must learn. Soon it will be unacceptable for us to meet like this, to even speak to each other. It's better for me to go now, without trouble." He stooped to give her an encouraging smile. "Besides, after I've completed my task I will return here, so it's not like it's a permanent separation."

Zelda pushed herself away from him and moved towards the nearby river, Link following a short distance behind. Both stopped and sat at the bank, Zelda trailing her fingers over the surface.

"These are the only times I look forward to," she sighed, pulling her knees up to her chin. "I'll be miserable without you here." Link leaned back and tried to look as cheery as possible.

"I'm sure you'll find another way to entertain yourself," he said. "What about that Marth kid that you father's fond of?" Zelda scrunched up her face and made a disgusted look at the ground. "Or not."

"He's nice enough, but all we ever do is talk about politics," Zelda groaned after finishing the last part and dropped her head on her knees. "No one else will talk about normal things with me except you." Link sighed inwardly; guilt trip.

"But this way no one will be around to get you into trouble," Link ventured; even though hidden behind her hair, he could see a small smile form on Zelda's lips. "Like when I locked your tutors up in their classrooms so you could get out of lessons for the day." Zelda arched an eyebrow at his amused expression.

"I got blamed for that, you know…"

"Sorry," he answered quickly, his twinkling eyes and bemused grin clearly indicating he was not. She couldn't help but smile in return; it was impossible to be angry with him. Zelda looked at the ground between them, absently plucking blades of grass from the soil.

"It's times like these I'll miss the most…" her voice came out soft, a tinge of sadness traceable in her words. Link continued to stare at the river until an idea suddenly occurred to him.

"Hey!" He turned to face Zelda, his mind quick at work. She straightened to look at him quizzically, knowing the familiar glint in his eyes could only mean one thing: he was up to mischief. Link smiled, his entire face alight with excitement now. "One last prank. We should do one last crazy prank before I go." Link got to his feet and began to pace around, blurting ideas as they came to him. Zelda also stood and mustered the most incredulous look she could.

"Are you serious?" she asked, enough to finally distract Link from his sporadic roaming. "Link, never mind leaving Hyrule, they're going to _throw_ you out." He only grinned wider at the thought. Suddenly he ran up to her and took her hands in his own.

"Will you help me, Zelda? Just this one last thing before I go?" The young princess allowed her uncertain eyes to trail up to his confident blue ones. He had the most pleading look she'd ever seen plastered skilfully on his face, and couldn't find herself able to say no. Zelda was reluctant to admit it, but he was better at this than she was.

"Have anything in mind?" She flashed a mischievous smile, the idea of pulling a crazy stunt on stuffy Hyrule castle growing on her. Victorious, Link chuckled and turned away to pace a little more. He stopped a moment later, glancing at the castle while his knuckles rested at his hips. The sun was beginning to lower across the horizon, and the two would have to head back soon. Despite this, Zelda couldn't help but admire the way the setting sun cast a deep glow on his handsome features. He looked back to smile at her over his shoulder, causing a notable tug inside her chest; she would miss him dearly.

"It has to be big," was his final reply. They finally decided to head back to the castle, musing over plans as they walked. Link would be leaving in a few days, but the prospect of creating one last grand-scale memory with him was enough to distract Zelda and keep her looking forward to their lasting exciting adventure together.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Hey again! Thanks so much to the wonderful people who took a moment to review my first chapter, I really appreciate it. =) So now I'm going to take a shot at the next chapter. My only concern is that I wrote chapter 1 when I was in a very specific frame of thought, months ago, and I'm afraid that I won't capture the same style of writing again. But I shall try! *clenches her fist in determination* Just wanted to give a heads up as to why my writing style may have changed from last chapter to this one~ Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters. I do own a fat cat though.

* * *

Marth had come to visit Hyrule Castle for a week. Zelda was less than thrilled by the unexpected news, but could do little to change it. After all, her father adored the handsome young prince. Link had also seemed thrilled at the idea of having Marth around, supposedly because this meant that he could be included in the prank.

"Maybe this'll scare him away for good," Zelda laughed. She and Link were sitting comfortably in the castle's courtyard; as usual, Link had easily slipped past the guards to come meet her. They were not expected to be there, so no one bothered to check up on the area.

"I thought about it all night last night," Link commented, his chin sandwiched between his finger and thumb. A sudden idea caused his eyes to light up. "Zelda, I don't suppose you have a dress I could borrow?"

"A _dress_?!" Zelda gasped, not sure she had heard the man correctly. Link nodded, his mind still in the process of formulating a plan. "Link, why on _earth_ would you need a dress??"

"I'm going to woo Marth." He forced, barely able to contain the laughter rising in his throat. Immediately after, his resolve broke own and he snickered uncontrollably into the crook of his arm. Zelda gaped.

"You're not."

"I am."

"Link, you'll get caught!"

"He won't be able to tell!" Link nudged her shoulder playfully. "Besides, I already wear a tunic and I look fantastic! And he won't be able to resist these chiselled legs," he joked, extending one into the air. Zelda finally fell forward in laughter, unable to handle the ridiculous plan any longer.

"I think I can find you something," she snickered. Looking pleased, Link stood up and offered his hand out to her.

"Shall we go?"

"Where to?" Zelda asked, giving him a surprised look. He shrugged.

"The market, maybe? I'm sure we can find lots of useful stuff there to use in our escapade." He pulled Zelda up beside him and stole a glance around the corner. "Hey, where'd all the guards go?"

"What?" Zelda ran over to peer around the wall as well, and was surprised to find that the normally heavily guarded grounds were bare. "That's strange," she whispered, stepping around the corner to examine the gardens. A loud trumpeting from the castle walls startled them both, and Link quickly dove into a patch of thick brush to avoid being seen. He poked his face out a moment later when silence followed.

"An important visitor…?" he ventured, still not quite ready to fully emerge. Zelda turned toward the window in the courtyard.

"Yes, but who? Oh, and Link, I think it's safe to come out now." A ruffling could be heard, and a moment later he was standing beside her again. Zelda smirked as she plucked various twigs and debris out of his hair.

"Should we check it out?"

"Nah." Zelda turned away, disinterested. "It's probably just some friend of my father's. Accompanied by a handsome son, no doubt." The princess sighed and took hold of Link's hand to drag him away from the courtyard. "Let's go while they're preoccupied."

* * *

Zelda sat at a dining table, one arm perched on the table to hold up her drooping head. Beside her, Marth and the king of Hyrule were engaged in an animated conversation which she had long drifted out of. Link was no doubt wondering where she could have gotten to, and she hoped he had gotten fed up and went on ahead to the market without her. While fetching a cloak from her room in order to travel unnoticed, she had unfortunately run into several servants who summoned her to a meeting with the company she now shared. Unable to refuse, Zelda was forced to attend and now listened to them drabble on. Her leg bounced to an unheard rhythm underneath the table, fortunately unseen to the others. This was precisely why she hated visitors; the princess always had to be present for such matters, but never did she get to interact on any sort of interesting level. Her name bubbling up in the conversation roused Zelda from her mental wanderings.

"I'm sorry, father?"

"Tomorrow, at the feast. I asked you to attend so that you can meet our honourable guest."

"Oh, of course father." Wonderful. Another commitment. When would she and Link have time for the prank? "Is that what the commotion was about earlier?" she continued, not letting on that she was less than thrilled by this news.

"Yes. Lord Ganondorf arrived today and is staying in the guest chambers until the end of the week. I'm holding a feast tomorrow in honour of his visit; he's ruler of the Gerudo tribe to the west and has some important information to discuss. You should be there, it's never too early to start learning about such matters. Marth, you have an open invitation to attend too if you'd like." The king settled himself atop his entwined fingers while peering at the younglings. "Yes, there shall be plenty of food, and dancing, and-"

"Father," Zelda interrupted, not liking where the conversation was going. She pulled herself up from the dining chair and tried to look apologetic. "I'm sorry to take such sudden leave, but I believe it's time for one of my lessons…"

"Already?" he asked, confused. "But I thought they were done at morning and evening intervals? Shouldn't it be later on in the day?"

"They've switched the times," Zelda answered nervously, looking away from her father.

"Oh. Alright then, be off. But please be back in a timely manner for dinner…" Zelda barely let him finish before darting out of the room. Both men were a little startled by her haste; normally the princess had to be cornered before being dragged to lessons. They dismissed it however and returned to their former conversation. Zelda was halfway down the hall, headed towards her room with a determined stride. Lessons were in fact done for the day, but staying at the table a moment longer would have been excruciating. When she finally reached her room, it was no surprise that Link was situated comfortably on her balcony, playing a sweet melody on his porcelain ocarina. Zelda didn't know were he learned, but hearing the tune instantly relieved the tension building up in her shoulders.

Link looked up when the scrape of her dress against the ground caught his attention. The young man flashed a smile but noticed something troubled in her eyes, then motioned for her to sit down. Zelda did so, sighing quietly as she did.

"I didn't see you at our meeting place. Did something come up?"

"My father…sorry Link…" Zelda sighed again and drew her knees up so she could lean on them. "And he's organized a feast tomorrow that I'll have to go to. I don't think we can follow through with our plans."

"Aw geez, Zel. You give up too easily. Don't you see, this works perfectly!"

Zelda threw him a sceptical look.

"I don't see how."

"Listen," Link said, leaning forward. "Feasts at Hyrule Castle are a big deal. Huge, right? Meaning _everyone's_ gonna be there. If ever there were a perfect opportunity for a prank, that would be it."

"What are you planning to do?" Zelda asked, still not convinced; Link's eyes glittered.

"First-things-first is my Marth plan. _Then_ you'll just have to see for yourself once the evening gets underway." He winked at her and brought the ocarina to his lips once more. They listened to a song melt into the breeze while Zelda's mind turned to the next few days. Link would be leaving soon, and they'd barely spent any time together. Zelda closed her eyes and tried to focus only on the melody, hoping to push the painful realization from her mind. Four years was so long.

_Four years….._

Link's song immediately stopped as an elegant wave of hair brushed against his shoulder. Surprised, the young man looked to the side to where the young girl now rested against him. Not sure if he should talk, Link instead risked a glimpse into her face; resting there was a sleeping princess. With a smile, he returned his gaze forward and let the wind tousle his hair. Quiet moments between them were always the most memorable. It kept his mind off things. Off of his journey in two days. Off of leaving the only home he had ever known for seventeen years. Off of leaving his friends…and…Link looked at her out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smirk. His life here would surely be missed…

* * *

Life inside the castle the next morning was hectic and busy. Zelda's servants had woken her early to begin preparations, and she was now yawning as the attendants fitted her dress and set about styling her hair. The entire castle was being adorned in preparation for the awaiting feast that evening, and no details were left uncared for. Such thoughts were far from the princess's mind however; she was instead anxiously awaiting the arrival of Link – today was the big day they had planned for. After what felt like hours, the servants finally left once their work was done; Zelda examined herself in front of the mirror before scrunching her nose at the reflection. While fit for such an occasion, Zelda hardly enjoyed being dolled up simply to be pleasing to foreign company. She turned away hastily before giving in to the temptation to ruffle her intricately tied hair. An abrupt knock on the door caused the princess to startle.

"Zelda?" Link's instantly recognizable voice called out. She hurried over to open the door before anyone passing by could notice his presence. Link sprung into her room and quickly slammed the door behind him. His cheeks were flushed and his breath came in heavy gasps.

"Did anyone see you?"

"I don't think so," he breathed. Finally composed, he brushed some of the blond bangs back from his face hastily and grinned. "Wow Zel, you look beautiful." Blood rushed to her face and the princess quickly turned away before he could notice.

"I-I got a dress picked out that I think will fit you," she said quickly. Link followed her over to the dresser, where a grassy-green dress was laid out carefully. "The sleeves are poofy, so it should cover your shoulders…"

"Are you saying I have fat shoulders?" Link asked playfully. Zelda rolled her eyes and shoved the dress at him.

"_Broad_, Link, and a bit too muscular to be a lady-in-waiting – here, you'll also need this head covering since you have short hair…" Zelda mumbled distractedly while adding several more items to the pile in his arms. Before he could reply, he was pushed behind the dressing screen at one end of her room. "Ok, now hurry up and get changed; I never wear this dress, so no one should recognize it."

"This looks complicated…" an unsure voice drifted over from the other side.

"Start with the bottom layer," she sighed and waited impatiently. Shuffling could be heard a moment later along with a frustrated sigh, followed by a sudden yelp. A slam on the floor caused Zelda to jump. "Link?!"

"Don't worry!" he called. After ten more minutes of the same scenario, Link emerged, slightly disoriented, in a sloppy dress. He wore a flustered expression and looked at Zelda helplessly through his tousled bangs. Giggling, she walked over and quickly adjusted the dress so it fit properly.

"Not bad for a first attempt."

"How do you wear these things every day??" Link asked in wonder. Zelda walked around to face him and offered two cupped objects in her palms.

"What are these?" Link asked with a hint of scepticism.

"You do want to be a woman, don't you?" Zelda replied, holding both of the objects towards him.

"Don't you think that's taking it a bit far?" he responded, suddenly thinking that pretending to be a woman wasn't such a good idea.

"Women have curves, Link. Marth will definitely notice if you lack certain…features."

"Zelda!" Link whined. She raised an eyebrow at the distressed boy.

"Either you do it, or I will."

"Fine." Huffing, he removed the spheres from her extended hands and turned away hastily. Zelda couldn't help but giggle as he struggled to shove the objects down the front of his dress as quickly as possible. When he was finished, Link spun around and waited for the verdict. Instead of responding, Zelda threw a hand over her mouth and tried to suppress a snort from escaping. A failed effort, tears sprung to her eyes and she doubled over in laughter, gasping for breath but unable to stop. Link looked confused by her reaction and checked over himself again. "What's so funny?"

"You're lopsided!" she squeaked, now holding her stomach as she tried to compose herself. Link turned a brilliant shade of red and attempted to adjust his top, without much success. Zelda only laughed harder at his expense.

"Zel! C'mon, knock it off! I told you this was a bad idea!"

"Sorry, sorry," she said, an amused ring still clear in her voice. The princess turned away and dug through the bottom of her closest, then emerged a moment later holding a white box. Link looked at it inquisitively when she offered it to him.

"What's this?"

"A lady needs high heels." She said with as serious a tone as she could before her laughter betrayed her once again. Link took the box from her, filled with a sense of dread. The lid was peeled back to reveal a glistening pair of pumps covered in sparkling diamonds and assorted gems.

"You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious."

"Zelda!!"

"Ok, ok, I'll spare you the heels. But will you at least try them on so I could see what it would've looked like?"

"No!"

* * *

It was fortunate that Link was well-educated in the area of royalty and expected mannerisms of its attendants; if Zelda had to teach him how to speak in _addition_ to how to act, she would have pulled her hair out. She had to give him credit for trying; he had gotten the voice down fairly well. But it was pretty hard not to notice his habit of casual leaning any time he stood still, and when he walked he tripped over the dress hem every five steps or so. Zelda finally had to give up and let him wear his normal combat boots, with the promise that he'd only walk around if _absolutely necessary_. While Link didn't like the idea of standing still for hours, he also didn't want to make a complete fool of himself. With great caution they travelled down the hall, Link clamped around Zelda's arm in the event that he lost his footing again. Things seemed to be going well, until a rapid shuffle approaching behind down the hall stopped the two in their tracks. Zelda noticed the striking blue hair first. Following it was a smiling face, slightly feminine in appearance but still handsome. With casual ease, Marth strode up to the pair and flashed a delighted smile.

"Zelda! There you are! Your father's been looking for you." He said cheerfully. Zelda inwardly sighed.

"Hello, Marth."

"And who is this lovely young woman with you?" he asked, bending down to peer at Link. "I don't believe we've met. May I have the honour of inquiring your name?"

"….." Link began to panic as he stared at Marth's outstretched hand. Zelda visibly tensed when she realized why he wasn't answering; after all his intricate planning, after carefully outlining every minute detail, Link had forgotten to come up with a fake name. Of all things, he forgot to plan his own name! Slowly, Link outstretched his hand while his mind reeled. 'Think fast, think fast, think fast!'

"Miss?"

"It's Li—Linda!" he cried suddenly, a bit too loud. Zelda bit her lip, but Marth only smiled and kissed the hand graciously.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Linda." With the crisis ended, Link eased up and switched into acting mode.

"Oh, what a charming prince," he cooed, batting the fake eyelashes Zelda had glued to his eyelids shamelessly. "Surely _I'm_ the one who should be pleased to make such an acquaintance." Ignoring the disgusted look on Zelda's face, Link wrapped his hands around Marth's forearm. "Would it be bothersome for you to show me around the castle? I'm new here, and the princess has been rather busy as of late. It's so easy for such a tiny girl like myself to get lost in such a big castle!"

"Why, I'd be honoured!" The prince replied, looking pleased.

"Oh Marthykins, you're such a kind perso – OW!!" Link was suddenly yanked away from Marth rather violently by a fuming Zelda, who shot him a warning glance before looking at Marth.

"I'm sorry, but could you excuse us for a few minutes, Marth? Linda and I have some urgent things to discuss before I go to see my father."

"No problem at all, Zelda," he responded warmly, then turned to leave. "Miss Linda…I'll be waiting at the castle bridge for your tour; please meet me there when you are finished!" And a moment later, he was gone from sight. Zelda sighed, then smacked Link over the head, earning a shocked yelp.

"Zel!! Why do you keep hitting me?!"

"You took that too far!" She cried. "Honestly, Link, you were practically throwing yourself at him!"

"But didn't you see? It worked!" Link replied, smug. He was met with an irritated glare.

"You're shameless."

"You're jealous."

"Am _not_!"

Link looked pleased at gaining the upper hand, then lightly nudged Zelda with his shoulder. That goofy smile instantly melted away the tension, causing Zelda to sigh in defeat. She looked up at him, with a tiny smile on her face.

"You better go finish what you started," she said. Link chuckled and looked off toward the castle bridge, where a distant silhouette could be seen, then returned his attention to Zelda.

"I've hardly begun," he drawled menacingly; Zelda gave him an inquiring look, but Link only shook his head and turned to leave. "Everything's in place – I'll see you later at the banquet." With that, he was gone in a blur of green, leaving a very confused princess to ponder what would happen in Hyrule Castle that evening.

* * *

This chapter was more for fun than anything else. XD As a side note, I'll now post updates on my profile that say where I'm at as I write the story so you can get an idea with what's going on during the writing process.

**Funny Fact! I looked up the name meaning of Linda, and it means "Pretty One." Oh Link, you poor, poor boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: The beginning of this chapter hated me. I was in writer's block for weeks. CURSE YOU WRITER'S BLOCK!!!

*ahem*

Anyway, I hope this turns out to be funny enough _ Let's see what Link shall do~

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. I do own at Chinese checkers.

* * *

Hyrule castle was in chaos. Somewhere between Link's departure and Zelda's arrival at the banquet halls, life within the castle walls had been turned upside down and thrown into a state of comical panic. Zelda stood gaping in the entranceway and watched the scene unfold around her. The band played in disarray, unable to comprehend why their intricate scores had become so chaotic and disorganized. Dancers on the dining floor were stumbling and slipping on the slick surface, which Zelda could only guess was Link's doing. A bulk of servants hung in a dangled mass from the grand chandelier, jerking and yelling muffled complaints. Screaming ripped through the air, and the startled princess turned to see a crowd of young women running wildly from a pack of stampeding pigs. She vaguely recognized some of them from the local farm that supplied the castle's kitchen. The assembly was momentarily followed by a disorganized span of soldiers, yelling and waving various cutlery in the air as they passed. Back inside the ballroom, Ganondorf was flailing about in a bizarre array of movements while shouting and grabbing at his shirt. A sudden ball emerged from his sleeve, which Zelda assumed to be a fairy; the glowing orb quickly disappeared into the man's cape again, resuming Ganondorf's twisted dance. Zelda was too speechless to laugh at the otherwise funny display. She heard a servant say to the king from a distance "Y-Your Majesty, I think you'd better come outside…"

A shrill yell sounded in the distance, accommodated by a loud pummelling on the ground. The floor shook noticeably, and Zelda warily glanced up the grand staircase to where the sound was approaching. What she saw left her utterly astounded.

Seated precariously in one side of a horse-drawn cart was a horrified Marth; Link, or rather Linda, howled with delighted laughter in the seat beside him, urging the horses on towards the staircase. Marth let out a horrified scream as they approached and desperately clung to the edges of the carriage while onlookers gasped in horror. Zelda ran forward to scream at them to stop, but was too late. Yelling "WOOHOO!!!!" as loud as he could, Link cracked the reigns and the horses leapt from the top platform, soaring forward. Zelda ducked instinctively as they flew by overhead and landed with a crash on the marble floor before continuing towards the drawbridge. She looked after in bewilderment, unable to come to terms with the scene that had just occurred. The King looked absolutely dumbfounded, a picture of comical horror plastered on his face. A disgruntled Ganondorf stomped from the banquet hall, his hair now unkempt and laden with several messy tufts. He quickly came to a leering halt beside the king.

"Daedalus, _what_ is the _MEANING_ of all this?!" he roared, spit flying from his mouth as he did so. The kind turned to him dumbly, searching for words to convey his shock.

"I-I-I don't know, Ganondorf, I honestly am, am…" King Daedalus trailed off while turning back towards the hall as if to find an answer there, gaping and wide-eyed.

"This is hardly the conduct I expected from such a banquet, held by _you_ no less," seethed the furious man beside him.

"I-I'm sorry, dear friend, I honestly had no knowledge of this! I promise that I'll punish the culprit once I find him!"

Ganondorf stalked off to clean up while Zelda laid a consoling hand on the king's shoulder.

"Father, are you alright?"

"Yes, my dear, I'm quite fine, just…just a bit…appalled I think…excuse me, Zelda, I'm going to get this mess cleaned up, and then I'm going to have a long nap. A very long nap," he added before drifting away. Once things had quieted down a little (the servants were taken down from the chandelier and the pigs were returned), Zelda snuck outside and headed for the courtyard where she knew Link would be waiting. True to his nature, the young man was seated comfortably against the castle wall, playing a pleasant tune on his ocarina. He was aware of Zelda's approach, but finished the melody before setting the instrument down and glancing up at her.

"Quite the show, huh?" he smirked. Zelda wasn't quite sure what to do: laugh along or hit him?

"Don't you think that was a bit overboard? My father's traumatized," she continued as she sat, unable to conceal the smirk slowly growing on her face.

"And you loved every minute of it," Link finished. They shared a knowing glance before spontaneously unravelling into a bout of laughter. Zelda suddenly bolted up, her face full of horror.

"What happened to Marth?!"

Link chuckled in delight.

"He's draped over the bridge right now, I think he's kinda queasy. Could be puking, I didn't stick around to see." He attempted to cover up a snicker.

"You really should be ashamed!"

Zelda bit her lip to refrain from laughing, but Link could see right through her phoney reprimands. Sudden voices nearby caused them both to stiffen, and a moment later Link hastily stood up.

"I better make myself scarce for now," he whispered hurriedly while helping Zelda up. "I don't want to get either of us in trouble. Can I meet you later tonight?"

"Yes," Zelda replied quickly, moving him towards the exit. "You'd better wait 'til it's dark out. I'll meet you at the balcony."

Link rushed to leave, but turned once to smile back at her.

"I'll be there, I promise. And…thanks." The young man winked and a moment later disappeared from sight, nimbly fading into the hidden crevices of the courtyard. Zelda sighed and shook her head after watching him go.

"It's a wonder how he gets me to do these things," she muttered to herself before departing to go check on the state of poor Marth by the bridge.

* * *

Zelda arrived later at her room that night than she expected. Damage control in the castle had taken longer than anyone thought, and she had been obligated to help. Her eyes searched the room as she entered, but didn't detect Link anywhere in sight. With a defeated sigh she closed the door, realizing that he had probably got tired and went ahead home. Tomorrow would be a big day after all. A little disappointed, Zelda began to make her way towards the closet when a sudden tap poked her shoulder. She would have shouted in alarm if Link hadn't have been there upon whirling around. Reassured, Zelda smiled and flicked his shoulder.

"You scared me! You're quite the shadow lurker, Link."

"Sorry," he replied with an amused smirk. She turned away for a moment to find a more comfortable evening gown; she had worn the same one since she got up that morning and her feet were beginning to hurt from the fancy heels she wore. As she ruffled through the hangers in her closet, Link quietly approached from behind her.

"Zelda?"

"Hm?" she answered, quietly turning to face him.

"Dance with me."

Wordlessly he drew her forward with his left hand, then took her in his arms in a sweeping motion. He smiled when her wide eyes looked up at him questioningly.

"We didn't get a chance at the banquet," he answered. Before another word was said, they slowly began to spin around the moonlit room, moving effortlessly to an unheard melody. Thought it was long after midnight, neither showed any hint of tiring. Moonlight reflected off the ocean-blue of Link's eyes and bathed Zelda's face and hair in a brilliant veil of pale white.

"Link?"

"Hm?" he muttered distractedly, her voice sounding foreign.

"You're staring," she said.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I was…thinking about tomorrow…" Zelda, normally adept at reading his voice, did not detect the lie. They came to a halt in the middle of the floor and fell into a lull of silence. There were so many things he wanted to say. Zelda smiled suddenly and took his hand in hers.

"Thank you for making this last day…such a memorable one. The others may not appreciate it, but I do."

Link chuckled softly.

"Anything for you, Zel."

Their eyes met in the silence, every unspoken word visible between them in that instant. It didn't matter that they would have to part tomorrow as long as they were able to be together for this moment. It was enough. Zelda's fingers tightened around his and the two moved forward until they were just inches apart. Delicately, Link brushed several loose strands of bangs from Zelda's face then regarded her warmly. Before his mind could get too carried off, he gently lifted Zelda's hand and kissed it.

"Goodnight, Princess," he whispered. Link turned swiftly and made for the door while Zelda stared after in silence. Both knew it was best to part as they had always been, friends, no matter how strong their feelings were. Link slipped out into the corridor of the castle and disappeared into the dark, while Zelda turned away to stare into the night sky.

"It has to be this way," she reminded herself sternly, but afterward sighed. The silence of the empty room felt heavy, and he would no longer be there to lift the burden. Keeping this in mind, Zelda settle in to bed for what she knew would be a restless night.

* * *

The next day was rainy and cold. Zelda sat at her window, watching gloomily as the captain's troops departed amidst the rain. Their parting that morning had been brief and severely restrained by the various observers nearby, but painful nonetheless. Zelda was proud of herself for not crying, but now tears freely trailed down her cheeks. Link had managed to smile and be reassuring during the entire encounter, but she could tell that he was reluctant to leave as well. They were forced to part when the captain's order to depart rang out amid the ranks, and were able to give each other one final glance.

"I'll be back soon," Link had said quickly, only able to give her hand a gentle squeeze without being said. Both knew it wasn't true, but being positive was the best thing for both of them right now.

"Be…Be careful…" Zelda managed to speak, although she couldn't quite look at him directly. "And don't do anything stupid! If you do and I hear about it, I'll come find you and punish you myself!" Link chuckled and patted her hand in his own.

"I won't, I promise. Just make sure you're here when I get back. That's all the incentive I need to come back safe." They fell into silence for a moment and then the captain called again. Link looked over her head and bit his lip, realizing he had to go. He turned back to Zelda again and smiled. "That's my cue."

"Alright." Zelda replied quietly.

"G….Goodbye, Zel."

"Goodbye..."

Zelda replayed the encounter over and over as she watched the formation leave. She couldn't focus on anything but the memory of his sad eyes as he bid farewell to her, and the full realization finally settled over her. He was gone.

* * *

Aww, Link's leaving! X( *cries* Don't go Link, stay with Zellie!!! Haha, anyway I listened to FF8's eyes on me for inspiration for this scene. It's honestly one of my favourite romantic songs EVER! *_* Link sure likes to take drastic measures, doesn't he? And yes, the king's name in this fanfic is Daedalus XD I wanted something unique, and a lot of his official titles begin with a D of some sort, so…^^ Anyway, hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Yaaay, chapter 4 was up faster than I expected! I realize these chapters are short, but it's really all I have time for right now. Thanks to all the wonderful people who having been favouriting and reviewing this story, I love you for it =)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. I own a stud pidgeon named Garfunkle, of whom I am very proud.

* * *

It rained hard that day. Water fell from the dark sky in heavy torrents, relentlessly slamming against anything that interfered in its descent to the ground. Residents had taken shelter in their homes, leaving empty streets at the mercy of the downpour. Life inside the castle was also dragging on at a sluggish pace; many of the servants unable to work in the rain had been given the day off, and those who did work did not have much to do. The princess of Hyrule had drifted to the library in her boredom, a place of solitude in which she often found shelter on days such as this. Absently, she picked an aged book from the shelf and settled down into the familiar couches. Zelda had matured in the last several years, forced into her role as princess in the absence of her departed friend, the source of many previous distractions. Zelda was careful to keep his name from surfacing in her memory, as such an event would prove far too harmful for her heart. His voice and presence had gradually faded from vivid recollection, but his smile still stuck clear in her memory. It was the one vision she was unable to suppress, no matter how much effort she gave it. Zelda had finally given up and settled with trying to keep herself distracted, finding a new focus in her studies and the happenings within the kingdom. Her father had barely noticed the change. Several relations with neighbouring allies had turned sour, leading to a devastating blow on the economy and foreign relations. The threat of war loomed on the horizon.

Life at the once-peaceful castle had turned tense. There was a constant veil of stress in the air that permeated every mind within the stone walls. Servants no longer smiled and royalty kept their eyes averted from onlookers. Even life outside the castle was changed; citizens no longer partook in seasonal celebrations and an eerie silence filled the marketplace whenever they ventured from their homes. It was as if a blanket of despair had descended on all of Hyrule. Zelda expected that day to be no different from any other; she'd stay cooped up in the library with her books, trapped in her thoughts with no other company to entertain her. How the princess missed the feeling of laughter escaping her throat. It was very rare for even a smile to grace her lips now.

Zelda sighed and directed her attention to the book laying open at her feet. She contented herself with reading for a half hour before a looming shadow suddenly fell across the pages of the book, directing her gaze upward. Before her stood a broad, intimidating man with olive skin and chiselled features.

"Zelda," his deep voice spoke conversationally, as if to acknowledge her presence only out of obligation. Zelda forced herself from scowling reflexively – she couldn't stand the way he addressed her by first name alone, especially as a man of high political standing. It felt as if he did this to subtly mock her from his pedestal of power.

"Ganondorf," she replied with a slight trace of displeasure. Ever since the strain on foreign relations had occurred, Ganondorf had inhabited the castle by invitation of her father to help mend the shambled country. He held great power within his sphere of influence, but Zelda had little trust for him, unlike the king. The air of superiority he radiated was sickening to breath. Zelda was glad then when he didn't dwell long and instead swept off to venture through more of the library. She made a quick retreat to prevent further encounters should he come back the same way again.

Elsewhere in the castle, the King of Hyrule hunched over an outspread map of Hyrule, pondering. The contemplative silence was broken by an abrupt knock on the door, followed by a creak once he gave permission for entrance. A high-ranking officer stepped in and saluted respectfully before speaking.

"Your Majesty, there is a guest who wishes to see you."

"Send him in," the king sighed tiredly, his shoulders sagging visibly. New footsteps entering the room caused the king to look up and gasp. "Captain!"

"Your Highness," he affirmed in the stern voice of an experienced military leader.

"Have you just arrived?" the Hyrulian king asked as while approaching the commander. "Are you and your troops well??"

"Yes sir," he answered to both simply. "The army is in order. But I'm afraid your countryside is not."

"Yes, yes, things haven't been doing well in Hyru-"

"Your Highness," the captain interrupted shortly, cutting the king off. It wasn't a rude action, only one of urgency. "The state of Hyrule is far worse than you are aware." The king seemed startled by these words and motioned for the captain to sit down after a moment's hesitation. The officer descended into the chair and looked across the table at the king with a morose expression while settling his armoured hands on the sturdy wood. "I'm sure you are aware of the monsters that have become increasingly present in the country, Sir?" When the king nodded, he continued, "It's seems now they have become uncharacteristically violent. They're attacking towns and civilians, which they normally refrained from before. They have an element of fierceness that we've never quite confronted before," the captain drifted, becoming suddenly diverted upon recollection of the encounters. "It's reason to be concerned. More than that, your Highness, something is wrong with the countryside. Plants are dying, forests are wasting away. Even the water has turned dark with some kind of sour darkness. I can't explain it."

"Captain…" the king mused with fearful apprehension, his knit eyebrows drawn inward. "What do you think is going on here?"

"…Hyrule is dying."

* * *

A sudden barrage of trumpets startled Zelda, abruptly breaking her focus from a partially-completed embroidery project. She strayed to look out the window, below to where the sunny cobblestone was dotted with large masses of men garbed in strict uniform. Her gaze lay dull upon them for a moment until the sudden realization set in that these were the captain's troops that had departed four years ago. Zelda's heart blasted to an astounding rate, suddenly gripping her with hope. Her gaze probed through the obscure faces anxiously, desperately searching for a familiar pair of striking blue eyes. Before she could trace them, however, the soldiers had made their way into the castle; Zelda sprung from her windowsill to dash down the stairs, startling many handmaids and servants as she did so. Her mind didn't track the time that passed as she worked through the halls, raced down the stairs and flew around the corners; it could only focus on one thing, that charming face that she had hidden from her thoughts for so long. Blindly she descended another set of stairs, rushing, bolting, flashing in an uncatchable blur, unable to make her legs move fast enough. Zelda was moving so fast that she didn't have time to stop for the object that her senses detected only a moment before she crashed into it. A strong pair of arms caught her suddenly and Zelda came to a halt after fully expecting to go crashing down the stairs along with the other soul. She opened her mouth to apologize. Zelda lifted her eyes up and then the world came to a stop.

_Link_.

…_Link…!_

The princess stared in transfixed shock at the startled man holding her steady. He looked back with wide blue eyes and an astonished expression.

"Zelda," he stated simply, as if to come to terms with her sudden appearance. They stared dumbly at one another for a minute, caught off guard by the abrupt reunion. Then warm recognition flooded Link's features. "Zel…"

"It really is you," she managed to speak. A tinge of softness rose in her eyes. His lips pulled up slightly at the corners as his arms returned to his sides.

"You look the same, only…a lot more beautiful than I remember."

Link did not look the same. He still had that contagious smile, but his eyes had dimmed and his presence had hardened. Zelda could no longer feel the warmth that radiated from the boy she knew four years ago. She reached for the left hand hanging loosely at his side and drew it towards her. Wordlessly, she turned it over in her hands, carefully tracing over the many calluses that nested in his skin. He was definitely not the same.

"That's not the worst of it," Link murmured softly; Zelda looked up into his pained face with questioning eyes. "Hyrule has been overrun by many monsters," he explained. She suddenly understood that he was talking about battle scars and her eyes began to fill with tears. Link took his hand from hers and cradled her face.

"Zelda…now is not the time to cry for me. Your country needs your help." He tilted her chin so she would look into his eyes. "This evil has to be stopped."

"Tell me what you have seen."

* * *

Bwaha, this chapter is really short! It seemed fitting, so I didn't try to change it. I Sorry if that's a bother for anyone. I really don't have a goal for chapter lengths, so I'm just gonna end where it seems applicable. Yay, time for me to plot what the heck is gonna happen now!

I almost wonder if I should have a transition chapter focused on Link...well, that's all for now, let me know!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry for making everyone wait so long! D: It's an extra-long chapter to make up for it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.

* * *

They talked for hours. Link recounted many of the horrors he had seen while training in Hyrule, most of them unthinkable, and Zelda listened with a mixture of fascination and alarm. He told her of the infested villages where people starved in their homes for fear of going into the streets; of the plagued lands, where plantation was unable to grow and where animals died from lack of food or shelter; and of a dense black smoke that could be seen snaking along the ground at a sluggish pace. When Zelda asked Link about the fog, he said that it would only remain visible for an instant before vanishing into the ground. During his four year absence, he had only seen it twice.

"I think it might be behind the rapid spread of death and decay," Link mumbled softly, looking distant and troubled. "I saw it in places where the land was still healthy; but on our return back to the castle, that land had become withered and rotten. It requires time to take effect…but the results are devastating…" He glanced up at Zelda through his bangs. "Have you ever heard of something like this before?"

"No…" Zelda responded, distress evident in her voice. "Nothing like this has ever been noted in the historical records…nothing even close…" She looked to the side while trying to recall even a trace of something similar, but was left with a blank. She was extremely well-versed in Hyrule's history. If anything like this had ever happened before, she would have known about it.

"If we know nothing about it or how it works, then we've no way to fight it," Link stated after a moment of thought. "No one knows how to stop this thing."

"Wait," she said, causing him to look up. "Inside the castle library, there's a hidden room that only the royal family has access to…I've never been inside of it, since I haven't been able to locate it. But supposedly it contains secrets and ancient writings that have been sealed away…I wonder if there might be a record about this smoke…" Link perked up, his eyes suddenly alight.

"We've gotta find it!"

"But I've tried…" Zelda sighed in defeat. "I haven't been able to find it for years…"

"Aww geez, you give up too easily Zel." Zelda smiled at the familiar words. It was good to see a genuine smile from him; ever since he had returned, Link seemed depressed and somewhat defeated. Maybe now he would liven up, like his old self.

"I'll look again," she said. Link look pleased and seemed to relax a little.

"Good…The captain has given us a few months off after being gone for all that time, so I can help you. Then maybe we can put a stop to this."

"…I'm glad you're back," Zelda spoke timidly, as if it were embarrassing to acknowledge the fact. Link gazed at her with friendly affection.

"It's good to be back."

"It's late…" she said, suddenly rising from the couch they had rested on. "You must be so tired after all of this – do you know where you're staying?"

"Yeah," he replied, pushing himself up. "All the soldiers have a room within the army quarters. It will be nice to get a peaceful sleep in a real bed-"

Link stopped short suddenly, and a distracted look surfaced in his face. He was silent a moment and then turned away toward the door with his back slightly to Zelda.

"Goodnight, Zel…it's been great to see you…" he whispered. Without another word he exited the room, leaving Zelda to wonder what had caused his mood to switch so unexpectedly. She eyed the walls around her, trying to mentally map out Hyrule's layout. The room definitely existed, that much was true. She just had to determine where its location was.

'Fortunately I have a stronger motive to find it now,' she thought, before leaving the room to get a good night's rest.

* * *

A fierce storm hit the castle that night. Rain pounded against the walls and pelted against the windows in sheets; despite the ruckus, Link lay sleeping in his bed. Warriors were often accustomed to noise during the night, and there was little that could wake him from a deep slumber. On this particular night, however, Link's sleep was filled with torment. The young man tossed and turned and his face was contorted into a distressed grimace. Within his head, images of the dying Hyrule laced his nightmares. His mind travelled back to a particular occurrence that had happened during the four years he was gone…

"_Hey Mister!" a young child's voice called out. Link looked down to see a boy barely taller than his knees smiling up at him with admiration. _

"_Hello there!" he grinned, leaning down to sit at the child's eye level. _

"_Are you a soldier?" the boy asked with big eyes. _

"_Mm," he nodded, at which the child gasped. "And what might your name be?"_

"_Jason, sir!"_

"_What a charming kid," Link chuckled, ruffling the child's hair. "And don't worry about that "sir" stuff. You can call me Link."_

"_Ok Link!" Jason smiled excitedly. _

"_MEN! It's time to head out!" the captain's voice echoed. Link titled back his head from the order and then smiled down at the young boy. _

"_Have to go for now. We'll be coming back later today, though, so I'll talk to you again then." Link stood up and then rummaged through the travel pack he was carrying. "Here," he said, pulling out an item and offering it to the boy. The child took the ceramic artifact from Link's outstretched hand and gazed at it with wonder. The royal blue acrylic lit up when exposed to the sun's rays and set off a pleasant glow. _

"_What is it?"_

"_An ocarina, the first one I owned. Take care of it for me." Link winked at the child's overjoyed expression, then turned to leave with the troops. They trained in a large expanse of land a few hours away from the village for most of the day, only stopping once the daylight began to wane. Instead of returning to the serene village that they had left, however, they returned to find it engulfed in flames. _

_There was no water. _

_They were already exhausted from a full day of training. _

_All they could do was watch helplessly as the last remains crumbled to the ground. _

_Once the fire had died down, the troops wandered through the ash and debris for any signs of survivors. They stayed behind for two days. Just moments before they prepared to leave the devastated ruins, Link caught a glimpse of something catching the light from under a scorched doorframe. He kicked the singed wood aside, which disintegrated into a pile of ash, and plucked the item from the rubble. His throat instantly tightened with the sudden recognition of his ocarina, now dull and smudged with dirt. Link stared at the object in his hand, unable to look away, and remained still for a long time. Tears that had been held back now stung his eyes and left hot trails down his cheeks. Droplets began to accumulate on the surface of the porcelain and glimmered in the sunlight. _

_Link wondered how anything could be able to shine in the face of such despair. _

Link jolted from his sleep, gasping wildly and sweating profusely. Images of the dancing fire still remained etched in his memory while screams of the villagers sounded in his ears. After a few minutes, the scenery faded until he sat staring at the wooden wall across from him. Now adjusted to the dark room, Link combed his fingers through his hair wearily and turned to his bedside table where his ocarina rested. He picked it up and cupped it in his two hands while staring at it blankly. That had been his first truly horrifying experience while training, but was soon followed by many more. Despite his charismatic attitude and determination to progress forward, Link soon began to feel the effects of the devastation. With each disaster a new burden was added to the weight of his shoulders. He could feel his spirit slowly being defeated day by day. And he knew that others had noticed. In the face of that he tried to smile, but nothing could ever take back what his eyes had seen during those four years; and now the situation was only getting worse.

Link sighed and returned the ocarina to the table. Instead of burying it in the graves, he decided to keep it as a reminder. It motivated him to find out what was happening to Hyrule and why such chaos had erupted. His mind wandered to the secret room Zelda spoke of, and a faint glitter of hope rose in his heart. She had seemed hopeful, which made him feel encouraged. Maybe they would be able to find the answers there. With that goal in mind, Link settled into his mattress once again and fell asleep to the sound of the pounding rain.

* * *

By the next morning, the rain had cleared and a sunny glow was cast over the castle from the sun. Zelda was up early as usual, and as was her habit in the morning, she strolled through the castle halls to gather her thoughts. She didn't immediately go to Link's room and force him out of bed as she would have done four years ago, but instead let him sleep to regain his lost energy. Admittedly though, it was taking all of her willpower not to.

'It's strange having him back,' she thought to herself while turning to descend along a staircase. 'We've both changed so much…in my mind, he's still seventeen. Our reunion couldn't even be entirely happy, either…' Her mind drifted to the tales of the decaying land, troubling her thoughts. What could she do to help her people when she had no place to act within the political sphere, and power was constantly being placed in the hands of other people? 'I can't even leave the castle to see it for myself!' Zelda's hands clenched with frustration as she stopped to look out a window towards the town market. 'My people must think I don't care about their predicament at all!'

"Zelda!"

She immediately spun around to see King Daedalus working down the stairs towards her, already clad in his royal robes. He motioned for her to come forward and meet him.

"You're up unusually early, father," she said with genuine surprise. They began to walk down the stairway together.

"I can't sleep well lately," he exhaled with a tired sigh, then put a hand on his daughters shoulder to guide her towards the Great Hall. Zelda took this as a sign that he wanted to talk and the two settled down at the lengthy table situated in the center of the room.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

"By now I'm sure you've been informed of what is happening in Hyrule," he began, to which Zelda nodded. He continued, "then you understand how important it is that we find a solution as quickly as possible. Over the past several years you have become well versed in the historical texts, and your memory is quite better than my aging one," the king chuckled, earning a smile from the princess. "So, since I'm assuming that you have not found anything, I would like to request that you personally work with a confederate to try and solve this issue."

"Confederate? Who wou-"

Before she could finish, the doors of the Great Hall parted to reveal the looming silhouette of a man who casually strode towards them. Upon recognition of the figure, Zelda's eyes instantly narrowed.

"Ah, Ganondorf," Daedalus greeted, standing up to welcome the man. "So glad you could make it."

"Please forgive my tardiness, your Majesty," he replied, letting the silky words slide off his tongue. "I wouldn't miss this meeting for the world."

"You were invited?" Zelda interjected, sharply glancing at her father.

"Yes, yes my dear, I've asked Ganondorf to join us since he is so accustomed with the land through his travels through Hyrule. His knowledge is indispensable to us."

"So this is the confederate you had in mind?"

"King Daedalus has granted me the greatest honour of working beside you," Ganondorf drawled with a sickeningly sweet smile. "I hope that we are able to cooperate thoroughly as partners."

Zelda felt sick, and made no attempt to hide the indication on her face. The look only seemed to delight Ganondorf even more. The king sat down and indicated for them to do so; Zelda complied reluctantly and slowly descended into a chair next to her father. Across the table from her, Ganondorf's eyes glinted with mysterious triumph.

"I guess the first thing I shall ask is if either of you have any ideas on what to do next," King Daedalus opened, eying the two with interest. Ganondorf immediately spoke up.

"My lord, despite my extensive familiarity with your lands, I have no certain answer to what is causing such chaos in Hyrule. All that's known is that some sort of smoke is apparently causing the decay."

Zelda's ears immediately pricked at the mention of the smoke, finally giving her an interest in what Ganondorf was saying. How did he find out about that? Link was the only person that had mentioned it to her, and he never told her of eyewitness accounts from the other soldiers. Daedalus' loud sigh broke her from the thoughts, however, and reminded her of something else.

"I might have an idea, Father. However I must request that I speak to you about it in private."

"I'll have none of that," the kind spoke sternly, earning a flinch from her. "Any relevant matter will be spoken of here and now with no withholding of information!"

"I _insist_," she added. The king gave her a look of such impending outrage that she immediately caved. "Alright…A long time ago, mother told me of a secret room within the library that contains hidden records and lost secrets of Hyrule, which is proven to exist." This time it was Ganondorf's turn to look at Zelda in surprise. "I've searched for years, only to be unsuccessful in my endeavours. Might you know something about this?" she questioned, giving the king a direct glance. Daedalus pondered in silence for a moment, then pursed his lips.

"Perhaps I might know something…" he mused, more to himself than to her question. "I had forgotten about that room; it's more like an addition that was added later, during my father's reign…I think I was in it once, as a boy. Only members of the royal family can get in." Daedalus raised his eyes to look at his daughter. "If I can remember how to get in there, may I leave it to you to examine the records?" Zelda nodded, and the king smiled. "Good. Anything of relevance is to be discussed between the two of you before being brought to me. I shall go to the library at once, and will call for you if I find anything. Ganondorf, I would appreciate it if you begin delegating aid teams to be dispersed throughout the towns. Both of you are dismissed until further notice."

Zelda immediately stood up and exited the hall with a fixed pace. With full intention she headed towards the living quarters assigned to soldiers; it didn't matter if Link was sleeping or not, nothing would stop her from waking him now. Other castle inhabitants were slowly beginning to emerge, and any within the direct path of the princess had to step aside to avoid being trampled. Zelda barged into the army quarters, which was mostly empty since the soldiers were unconscious from exhaustion and had not yet gotten out of bed. With surprising ease she found Link's door and threw it open without bothering to knock. To her surprise, Link was indeed awake and stood half-dressed by his bed. Zelda was so focused on her task that she didn't even notice.

"Link, I need to talk to you!"

"Z-Zel?" he asked, clearly startled by her sudden appearance unannounced.

"What's that stunned look for? You should have been expecting me to show up, I always do. We need to talk!"

"Is everything ok, are you hurt or something?"

"No!" Zelda groaned, exasperated at his inability to keep up with her. She was halfway through flinging a shirt at his head when she caught sight of the deep slashes etched across his arms and chest; the shirt fell from her hands and landed discarded on the floor. "L-Link…"

He looked down with concern, and then realized what had caused her sudden reaction.

"Oh…sorry." He grabbed the shirt, looking flustered and ashamed, and quickly tugged it over his head. Unable to look at her directly, he instead turned back to his bed and organized several items on it as a means of distraction. "Didn't want you to see that…"

He backed up at Zelda's sudden movement towards him. Looking hurt, she moved forward again and gently took the shirt hem in her hands. Zelda began to lift the fabric, ignoring the warning look in his eyes, and raised the shirt to reveal the array of scars. With such bodily infliction evident, she could only imagine what this had done to him mentally. Link gently took hold of her hands and moved them away, allowing the shirt to slide down again; Zelda only looked at him with a mixture of confusion and distress.

"Link…I…"

Any words she had intended to say died in her mouth, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.

"What was it you came here for?" Link asked softly, deliberately moving them towards the door.

"Don't do that!" Zelda said, halting abruptly. "Don't just brush it off! Link, those were really serious wounds! Did you get them treated before they healed?!"

Link looked away quietly and closed his eyes before exhaling slowly.

"We lost our medic," he stated in a flat voice, still looking the other way. "And a lot of soldiers too, consequently." He turned back to her and tried to smile. "It's too late to do anything about them now. Besides, I thought I told you to stop worrying about me. Your people need you more than I do."

Zelda didn't know why, but that statement bothered her more than it should have. Sighing, she decided to drop the matter and let him have his way – once.

"Father wants me to work with Ganondorf," she spat bluntly, marching ahead of him while remembering why she had been so upset on her way there.

"What?" Link asked with an incredulous voice, falling into step behind her. "Why would he ask you to do _that_?"

"Because he's _SO _knowledgeable," Zelda mocked, rolling her eyes. "I don't trust that man at all! There's something off about him!"

"But there's not much you can do if that's what your father told you to do," Link reasoned, finally catching up to her. Zelda's eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"Oh, that's what he wants me to believe. Let him think that if it gives him any sort of mental security, I'm capable of much more than he knows!" Zelda set off on another march down an adjoining hall, while Link had to double back after continuing straight.

"N-Now wait a minute Zel, just slow down for a sec! You know how you get when you're bent on something; don't let your head get carried away!"

Zelda stopped to stare at him as if his request was unthinkable; he leaned back from her gaze uncomfortable.

"I take it back; do what you want."

Content, Zelda made her way down another hall with Link not far behind. As they were walking, a wooden door swung open to reveal an entrance to the library. King Daedalus rushed out, waving frantically at his daughter.

"Zelda! Zelda!! Come here, I've done it!!!"

With wide eyes, Zelda tore into the library after her father, and upon entrance was met with the sight of a large archway along the opposite wall. The curved vault had intricate symbols etched into the stone in what she guessed was some derivative of Hylian, and a glowing crest above the arc in the shape of three golden triangles. Beyond the doorway was a dusty room that had shelves lined with books and scrolls; many were delicate in appearance and were beginning to fall apart. Awed, Zelda took a step towards the room.

"It's all yours, my daughter," Daedalus beamed, feeling very accomplished. "I haven't looked through it yet, since that's going to be your task. I never liked reading much anyway…" he chuckled, placing a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder. "The language written on the archway is ancient Hylian. If you utter the phrase 'Door of fortune, yield to my knowledge' in ancient Hylian, this doorway will open. That's what is written up there, but very few people speak that language anymore. I imagine you and I are in the small handful of beings who can still speak it fluently." With a gentle nudge he sent Zelda towards the frame and began to walk away. While passing Link, he clapped a hand on the lad's shoulder.

"Good to see you back and in one piece," he commented cheerfully before walking away. Link watched the king leave before returning his glance to Zelda. Instead of standing before him like she had a moment ago, Zelda was now frozen in the doorframe, seemingly paralyzed in a rigid posture.

"Zel…?" Link started. Zelda sudden recoiled inward and a brilliant golden light shot out from around her body, illuminating the whole room. Link went to reach for her, but had to turn away and shield his eyes from the overpowering light. The light suddenly vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and Zelda fell into a limp bundle on the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Hi again everyone! =3 I received a lot of nice reviews last chapter and just wanted to send out my love to you guys, you are awesome! Writing fanfics is a lot easier when you know there are people out there who enjoy them. I only hope that you continue to like the story as it goes along. =)

Disclaimer: I take no credit for the wonderfulness that is the Legend of Zelda.

* * *

"Zel…!" Quickly recovering from his shock, Link ran to the collapsed girl and scooped her into his arms to prop her up. Her eyelids fluttered before lifting to reveal dazed eyes, followed by a soft moan.

"W-What…happened…?" she asked in a tiny voice. Link just shook his head and carefully helped her stand.

"You collapsed right as you were about to enter that room…some freaky gold light was being emitted from your body right before it happened." Link's eyes furrowed as he examined the girl further. "Do you feel alright? Can you feel pain anywhere?"

"Nothing feels wrong," Zelda answered as her normal strength returned. "Everything's fine now. How strange…" She shook her head then stepped past Link towards the door again. A hand suddenly shot out and grasped her upper arm to hold her back. "What is it Link?" she asked, looking at him confused.

"Don't you think it's a bad idea to try and enter a room that renders you unconscious without any physical indication at all as to why??" he scolded, his voice unusually stern. "Sounds an awful lot like magic to me. That's dangerous stuff to mess with, Zel."

"It wasn't a spell…" Zelda turned towards the frame again. "I don't think anything will happen this time…Besides, my father entered the room just fine, so I guess there's just something wrong with me!" With a cheerful smile, Zelda slid out of his grasp and strode into the room while humming. Link just stared after her with a look of aghast.

"I hate it when you use lousy logic like that and still manage to win," he mumbled while following her as far as the doorframe, but she didn't hear due to being submerged in one of the books already. Link sighed and leaned against the stone while crossing his arms. "Ok, so what should I do?" he asked with a feeling of neglect. Zelda looked up at him briefly before delving her nose back into the book.

"If I pass you some books, do you want to help me read?"

"Not particularly," Link responded dully, the idea horribly boring to him. "What takes you three hours would take me three _days_. And I'd fall asleep long before then." Link turned his attention to the sunny weather outside and pushed back from the wall into an attentive stance. "I'll go talk to the captain for a while; maybe he's gotten some ideas by now. Come and get me if you find anything interesting."

He received no verbal reply, but only a waving gesture from the distracted princess who was much too preoccupied with her books to be bothered with much else. Nothing would be able to tear her away now.

'_What a change_,' Link thought as he marched away and into the outer courtyard. Zelda had always hated history, and it was downright tedious to try and get her to read when she didn't want to. To see her flock so willing to them now was just…_bizarre_. His drifting thoughts came to a halt as he came across the captain sitting in the outer courtyard and calmly made his way over. The captain wordlessly motioned for Link to sit beside him on the bench, and together they sat in comfortable silence. After a while the captain finally spoke up in a mellow voice that was characteristic of him when he was relaxed.

"Your skills have developed nicely over the course of your training, Link," he commented. "Not once have I regretted recruiting you as a solider. You're one of the best; no one has skills quite like yours."

Link squirmed at the praise, but smiled good-naturedly.

"Thank you Sir. I've learned a lot that I otherwise wouldn't have…I'm indebted to you and your leadership."

"Link," the man continued, his chiselled face becoming troubled, "There were a lot of things you saw during the past four years that you shouldn't have. Most new soldiers aren't exposed to that kind of brutality until much further in their careers, but you handled it with a surprising level of maturity. That showed me just how capable you truly are as a warrior. It's also the reason that I'd like to offer the position of vice-captain to you, if you're willing to take it."

A silence settled for a moment as Link mulled over the sudden proposition. He was quite taken aback by the offer since it was not expected at all, and certainly not what he intended to talk about that morning.

"It's a rare opportunity," the captain continued at Link's lack of words. "It's unprecedented for a man as young as yourself with such limited experience to receive such an invitation, and it likely won't happen again for a very long time. I don't expect an answer now, but I'd like you to consider it." Content with that option, Link nodded and inwardly sighed as the pressure lifted.

"Actually, Sir, I was wondering what you plan to do now that we've seen what's happening in Hyrule. Sitting idle while innocent people continue to die is a horrible injustice, and I don't think I can remain still for too long…You must be anxious to act as well." Link turned to the captain, who looked contemplative.

"The thing is, the troops are exhausted and need to recuperate before carrying out another huge military endeavour. Plus, we can't really act until we receive orders from the king, who is relying on the opinions of others to determine what course of action to take."

"Can't he see how desperate his subjects are…?" Link murmured, clenching his fists in frustration. "I respect the king, but he's so reluctant to act according to what he knows is best, and people are indirectly dying because of it!"

"The situation with foreign allies is also a lost cause now. We may as well be enemies with all of our neighbours. I was informed this morning that they are demanding our army be reduced to 1/3 its size, or else they will declare war."

"What?!" Link cried, jumping to his feet. "That's crazy! Absolutely ludicrous! We've never posed as a threat to them, and our fleets are already undermanned after all the deaths that have occurred!! If we do as they say, Hyrule may as well be inviting them to invade!!!"

"I know," the captain replied with a flat voice, overlooking Link's panicked spiel. "It's a messy situation. If we comply, we're sure to get raided and face foreign subjugation. If we refuse, we face certain war with multiple countries who will likely unite under a common cause. I do not know whether to fight for my life or my pride…" For the first time, Link saw his captain at a loss for what to do. Truthfully, it unsettled him to see the one man he knew to always have a plan completely exposed and defenseless to the situation at hand.

"No matter what, our situation is pretty bleak if we leave things like they are now." Link sighed heavily while the captain simply nodded. He saluted the man before turning to leave, unable to think about the subject anymore. "Sorry Sir, I need to get away from here for a bit. I'll be at the training grounds should you need me." The captain gave him a knowing glance, than looked away to indicate his approval. Link began to head towards the training grounds, but before long he was running at a full-out sprint in whatever direction his feet would carry him. He had no specific destination and no certain trail to get wherever he was going; he simply ran for as long as he was able. Anything to escape the anguish that surely awaited him should he stop to linger in the realm of reality.

* * *

Hours had passed and most of the day was spent, but time was not something that Zelda kept track of as she consumed pages upon pages of information without any trace of exertion. The more she read, the more the princess became energized. As Zelda placed one book back on the wooden table at which she was seated, she noticed one book with the binding intact that was in fairly good condition; compared to the others, it looked brand new. Intrigued, Zelda carefully slipped the book out from under a pile of scrolls and examined the green cover. Etched into the front was the same triangular crest that she had seen above the archway in the wall; inscribed above the symbol was a title written in ancient Hylian.

"The Book of Mudora…?" she read aloud before cracking the book open. To her amazement, none of the writing inside had faded, and the pages within were still crisp and fresh. She figured magic had been used on it for preservation and began to read the intricate writing elegantly scrawled across the first page.

_In the beginning amidst the darkness of eternal space, from a distant nebula three goddesses were sent upon a formless chaotic waste of a world. Din, the goddess of power forged the mountains and great plains from…_

Zelda stopped reading and held the book back to stare at it in wonder. "A chronological account of the history of Hyrule…?" Her heartbeat doubled as she realized what a treasure she held in her hands. '_This is exactly what we were looking for!!!_'

…_these three created the unification of cosmic balance. They bestowed a manifestation of their essence within a mighty artefact called the Triforce, an object that would be sought by many and attained by only one. The Triforce took its place within its heavenly annex within a Sacred Realm where the spirits roam free. And so began the odyssey of Hyrule._

"This has everything," she wondered while flipping through the pages. Her eyes halted on a bold phrase centred at the top of one of the pages, followed by a lengthly explanation; _**The Hyrulean Civil War**_. Zelda's eyes widened as she read the account, careful to take in every minute detail. It told of an ancient battle that occurred between the tribes of Hyrule before the country's unification, when they sought after the power of the Triforce that was rumoured to exist within the Sacred Realm. As the hearts of the people where poisoned by their lust for its power, the land descended into chaos. After a time of darkness and despair, the war came to an end through unification under the King of Hyrule.

_Negotiations formed between the tribes were led by the king of the Gerudo tribe, a powerful man who formed an alliance with the King of Hyrule. Together they were able to unite a war-torn land into a prominent kingdom; however this peace would not last for long. The Gerudo King also learned of the Triforce and sought to attain its power, a twist of fate that eventually led to the great Imprisoning War._

Zelda paused to take it all in, amazed that she had not heard of any of this account in her previous studies, before continuing.

_This man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself…With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. Hyrule was once again thrown into chaos and the land fell into despair._

_But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand…a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generation until it became legend. The name of the evil man who fought with the Hero of Time was also passed down through legend, in hopes that future generations would remember the consequences of his greedy heart and quest for power. The Gerudo King, who took on the name of…_

Zelda froze. The blood in her body instantly ran cold and she suddenly felt dizzy. It couldn't be. She read the name again to confirm what her eyes had seen, then had to put the book down and look away. It _couldn't_ be!

"How is that possible…?" she murmured, holding her throbbing temple in her trembling palm. All the uneasy feelings she had felt toward since the arrival of that man in the castle simultaneously doubled, causing the princess to reel. She forced the sick feeling down, then turned back to take one final look at the text. It met her eyes there, plain and bold upon the page.

_Ganondorf._

* * *

Ok, I kinda took the easy route this chapter and used references from official sources rather than making it all up from scratch; I threw in my own bits as well though. Sources include the Wind Waker prologue and the Book of Mudora, which I read about in a wikipedia article. Also, sorry if this chapter was kinda boring, but I wanted to give some background history that will help set up events for upcoming chapters—I wouldn't include it if it wasn't relevant! =) *rubs hands together* Next up…It's conspiracy time!


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Yay, next instalment! Hoping to kick up the suspense! *dun dun duuun*

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. *sad face*

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Disruptive pounding on the door startled King Daedalus from his preoccupation with reading, and he reflexively gave permission for the guest to enter. Seconds later, a flustered-looking Zelda barged into the room, her hair unkempt and breath ragged. She held up one finger to signal her need for air before leaning forward against her knees to recover.

"Good heavens, child, what did you do? Race a lanmola all the way here?" He waited for her heaving to cease, at which she finally ambled over.

"Father…I…this…was reading…couldn't wait, had to run…it was…!"

"Darling, I'm afraid you're not making any sense," Daedalous explained with a worried tone. Zelda bent over again and sucked in a huge breath before straightening up.

"Ganondorf wants to destroy Hyrule!"

"What?" The king glanced sharply at his daughter.

"Here, it's all here!" Zelda shoved the book across the table so that it sat in front of her father. He looked at it with surprised interest for a moment before glancing back at her.

"Zelda, what is this?"

"A history of Hyrule, from the very beginning! Even parts that have long been forgotten, it's all in there!"

"And what is it that led you to these accusations against Lord Ganondorf?" the king continued, a furrow of doubt forming on his brow.

"It tells of the same man trying to overthrow Hyrule by obtaining the power of an object called the Triforce; the same name, same description, same background, everything! Here," Zelda shifted the book so that she could flip to the right page. "See, it's right here!" she cried a little desperately. The Hyrulian King took a moment to read over the passage in silence.

"Zelda," he sighed, shutting the book. "All males born within the Gerudo tribe have traditionally been named Ganondorf. It's been that way for thousands of generations, most likely in remembrance of the one detailed in this record. Not _one_ of them has caused a problem for Hyrule. I don't know what your problem with him is, but I trust Ganondorf completely and expect you to be courteous of his presence here!"

"But-!"

"I said that's _enough_!" Daedalus growled, slamming a palm to the table as he stood up. "All of this nonsense is testing my patience, and I want no more of it!!" Sufficiently agitated, the king once again descended into his chair and scowled at the impending paperwork left to be done. Zelda fell silent, then took the book in her hand and quietly left. It took every ounce of willpower she had to bite her tongue and make if wordlessly into the hall. Once she was there, she fell into a brisk walking pace, her mind set on a destination outside of the castle. When Zelda was little, her mother used to take her out into the gardens whenever she threw a fit or was crying over something insignificant. In her current state, Zelda found herself amidst the familiar sea of flowers and felt somewhat comforted. She was still so far-off in her thoughts that she didn't notice herself speeding by a fellow onlooker.

"W-Whoa, Zelda! Hey, Zel!!"

"Huh?" Zelda stopped and looked up, then realized that the person who had called her was sitting on a bench behind her. Zelda turned to meet him and then gasped. "Oh, Link! I didn't even see you there!" The princess walked over to the bench, and Link made room for her to sit down.

"Good thing I was sitting this time," Link chuckled, referring back to their collision in the stairwell when he had first returned. She smiled, but he noted that it was off from its usual appearance. "You usually only trample people when you have something weighing on your mind, though. What's up?"

Zelda met his concerned glance before looking away towards the ground.

"I thought I found something in this book, but it seems that no one else thinks so." She handed it to Link, who examined it carefully. "Listen to what it says: _Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace. But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself..._According to this book, that man was named Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo tribe. Using the Triforce, he was able to overthrow the kingdom. The text goes on to explain how a legendary hero rose up and defeated him, thus returning peace to Hyrule. But can't you see the similarities??"

Link reread the passage and shifted the textbook back and forth between his hands while contemplating.

"It's possible that there's a connection," he started, a hint of scepticism present. "But it's Gerudo tradition to-"

"I know, I know!" Zelda sighed and gently took the book in her hands. "But listen to this! _But then…a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs._ So at some point in its history, Hyrule was overcome a second time…it describes it as a darkness that came from the ground…Doesn't that sound like what you described to me?!" A surprised look crossed Link's face; she leaned in to eye him seriously. "It may sound crazy, but I think history is repeating."

Link, at loss for what to think, ran his fingers through his tousled hair.

"There may be something to that…" he said aloud, more to convince himself than her. "But there's no solid proof, so we'll just have to keep an eye out in case he does act."

"If that's the case, I'm going to be sticking close to you for awhile." Zelda said quietly.

"Why?" Link asked, becoming surprised. "If Ganondorf really does have a secret agenda, he's not stupid enough to attack members of the royal family in their own castle. There are guards everywhere!" Zelda folded her hands and looked at the ground.

"I think I might be in danger, specifically," she answered. "That book also talks about how the golden power, the Triforce, became split into three pieces – each piece withheld a particular trait that its owner would bear. The Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce Courage."

"I'm afraid I don't follow…"

"You remember that strange light that surrounded me before I collapsed earlier today?" When Link nodded, Zelda inhaled deeply and sighed. "This book records past princesses in the royal family that have held my name. It seems that for each generation in which a baby girl is born to the monarchy, she is named Zelda in commemoration of the princess who helped defeat the dark lord so long ago. In the book she's known as the Princess of Destiny, chosen by fate to wield the Triforce of Wisdom…" Zelda spoke the last few words slowly, to let them sink in, while Link looked bewildered.

"Wait. Does that mean…?"

"I think I may have a piece of the Triforce…" she said.

"Then the gold light…"

"…Was my piece awakening."

The two sat in silence for a moment, stunned by the revelation. Zelda stared at the book nestled under her folded hands while Link stared off into a nearby flowerbed.

"What does this all mean?" Link asked suddenly, his face looking distressed. "An ancient artifact that has been missing for centuries suddenly reappears after all this time? Why now??" His mind wandered to the impending wars as well, but he kept silent about the news he had learned earlier that morning; Zelda was already stressed enough with the circumstances as they were and didn't need anything more on her mind. By now the day was late and the sky was stained with pink and orange hues cast from the setting sun. Link realized the time and suddenly stood before offering a hand to the princess.

"Are we going somewhere?"

"_I'm_ going to go talk to the captain about having my quarters switched to across the hall to give you some peace of mind. _You_ are going to go to bed to give your poor brain a rest." Zelda accepted his hand but narrowed her eyes at his suggestion.

"Won't the captain think that's a little…suspicious?"

"Nah, not if I tell him how much all of this stress has been unnerving you, and you'd feel safer with a dashing man such as myself near by."

"_Dashing_?"

Link put his hands on his waist and pretended to look insulted.

"Have you forgotten how good of a liar I am? Not only have I successfully passed myself off as a woman, I've also saved you from innumerous amounts of punishment and outsmarted an entire castle's worth of people _single-handedly_. I can't believe you don't trust me with these sorts of things by now."

"You haven't grown up at all," Zelda chortled in disbelief. "But I can't deny that you're right. Off you go then," she waved dismissively. She yelped when he instead grabbed her hand and began to drag her along, grinning infectiously.

"If you come with me, you can play along too!"

"N-No, Link! I don't want to – hey, are you listening to me?! L-Link, hold on a sec will you?! Liiiiink!!!!"

* * *

The sound of their playful bantering faded as they disappeared farther from the garden, soon replaced by the sound of crickets emerging as night began to fall. Nearby, footsteps quietly beat along the soft earth, creating a heavy rhythm that blended with sounds from other night critters. The drifter came to a halt after coming across the white bench that had been occupied moments earlier and took note of a dark object tucked against the corner. A pair of hands reached down and hesitated a moment before taking the book from its place on the bench. The drifter continued on through the garden, the footsteps disappearing as quietly as they had first appeared, and the night fell into silence.

It had nearly been an hour after the two had gone to make their request to the captain, who had believed them with surprising ease. Even Link had to make an effort to hide his shock. Zelda helped Link to move his things into the new room and unpack so that he'd be settled before going to sleep. After they were finished, the young soldier stood in the centre of the room to admire the location.

"There's so much more space in this one! I'm not quite sure what to do with myself now." He looked to Zelda, who shrugged.

"Do cartwheels or something," she began, but stopped short when the man actually followed through with her suggestion. He did a series of four cartwheels before landing at the other end of the room with a boyish grin plastered on his face. The young woman faceplanted into her palm before eying him with a mixture of weary and wonder. "I forgot that sarcasm doesn't work with you."

"That would be correct, princess," he smiled while strolling over. Link stopped in front of her and offered his hand.

"Eh?" A small noise emitted from her throat as he took her hand in his and spun her around. With no effort she was dipped back before being caught in his strong arm. She looked into the face leaning above hers with a questioning stare, which smirked in response.

"It's also perfect for dancing." Zelda looked doubtful, but Link lifted her up again and twirled her once more so that she was upright. "For old times' sake?"

The two danced together for upwards of ten minutes by the fading candlelight, their steps becoming slower and slower as the room darkened. It was reminiscent of their dance on the night four years ago, but there was a different feeling in the ambience of the room this time. By the time the candles had reached the base of their wicks, the warrior and princess were barely rotating in a small circle, each captive to their own thoughts.

'_Why do I feel so nervous?_' Link wondered, suddenly understanding the tight sensation that had been building up in him for most of the day. They had danced many times before, but on this particular evening his heart was pounding and his thoughts refused to stop racing. He could detect a similar feeling in her eyes too, but neither brought it to the other's attention.

'_We've known each other for most of our lives, things shouldn't be awkward,_' Zelda also thought. Neither realized that they had come to a stop until the last minutes of candlelight began to flicker, acting as a signal for them to stop. Neither really knew what to say before leaving, however. Link's mind reeled for something, anything, to break the silence, but found himself uncharacteristically lost for words. Without warning, an idea popped into his head, and he reached into one of his pockets.

"I-I almost forgot…" his voice spoke low in the dark room. He drew his hand out and held it up to reveal a purple gladioulus flower and offered it to her shyly. "You've been working hard lately, so I picked these for you in the garden earlier. But…I kinda flattened them when I sat on them." He laughed apologetically and placed the blossoms in her hand. "I'll get some more for you tomorrow."

Zelda began giggling as she took the flowers, which lit up her face beautifully despite the lack of light. Link wasn't quite sure how to react and instead waited for her to speak so that he could gauge her reaction better.

"That's sweet, Link," she smiled, and the unspoken tension instantly flooded away. She giggled again and he eased up at last. Their eyes met, which sent Link's heart racing yet again. "Thank you," her voice spoke with sincere gratitude.

"My pleasure, dear lady," he said while bowing dramatically. Zelda smirked and curtsied in response. When they both straightened, Zelda finally made her way towards the door and stepped outside. Link hovered in the frame, his hand on the door. "You sure you're gonna be ok?" Zelda only winked at the concern in his voice.

"Don't worry, just make sure to get a good night's rest tonight and I'll see you in the morning." Balancing on her toes, Zelda lifted her face up and placed a small peck on his cheek before turning and leaving wordlessly, leaving a dumbfounded Link to stare blankly into the hallway. After taking a minute to recover from the shock, he closed the door and settled himself in bed, but found himself unable to sleep. He didn't know why, but the young warrior found himself almost giddy with happiness after the course of the night's events.

* * *

Many hours after retiring to her own room, Zelda lay suspended in a deep sleep. Unlike Link, however, her thoughts were far from the events of that evening. She was squirming uncomfortably at the scene unfolding in her dreaming mind, which was rapidly becoming a nightmare. Zelda found herself to be in another person's body, one very similar to hers but definitely not the same. She was tied down to some kind of marble alter in a dark room. The air suppressed her lungs to the point where it felt difficult to breath and every effort she made to escape from her bindings proved futile, only amplifying the pain. Heavy footsteps entered the room on the glass tiling, and although she could not see the visitor, Zelda felt a sense of foreboding dread. The woman whom she inhabited began to struggle fiercely, almost in a state of panic, her breathing now ragged.

"_Now, now, Zelda_," a voice called out, causing the girl to seize up with fear. She fell still upon the table and stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes as the steps became closer. "_That's enough out of you. You know it's useless to fight back now_." A cold hand descended to her own and pulled the cords tighter, causing her to cry out in pain. There was something eerily familiar about the man's voice; Zelda suddenly realized that it wasn't a dream. This had really happened somewhere in her ancestry, and she was reliving it. A shadow passed by and continued on to the other end of the room; shuffling and the sound of glass beakers clinging together could be heard a moment later.

"_He won't let you get away with this!_" the captive princess cried, her shaking voice turning fierce. "_It's plain to see that you're scared of him, that's why you kidnapped me you coward!!_" The domineering man seemed unfazed by her words and simply remained occupied with his task with remained hidden due to his overbearing back. Finally he turned, revealing the face of a man with dark olive skin that was clouded in shadow.

"_Shall we begin the extraction now, my princess?_" The words had a shivering effect on both the past and present Zelda. He seized her right hand in his own and plunged it into a wooden bowl of liquid just long enough to cover it in the dark elixir before removing it. A stinging sensation remained on the back of her hand, and the man lifted it up to examine her skin. He chuckled with satisfaction a moment later when a faint glow appeared around a golden symbol. The Triforce emblem quickly turned black and Zelda felt her body become paralyzed. A similar symbol appeared on Ganondorf's hand, however instead of turning black it began to shine brighter. She watched in horror as her piece began to disappear, and a sudden pain racked her body. It steadily grew until her entire body felt like it was on fire. The princess tried helplessly to escape the excruciating agony, but could not break free from his iron grasp on her wrist.

'_It feels like I'm being ripped apart!_' her mind seared. The princess did everything she could to keep from crying out as the pain built steadily more.

"_Goodbye, princess."_ The voice hissed with delight as the final traces of the Triforce vanished from her flesh.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Zelda thrashed in her sheets, screaming in terror as the vision ended. Her hand throbbed and she continued to cry out at the images seared in her memory. "STOP IT!! STOP!!!!!!!!" she shouted, making sure to keep her eyes clamped shut. She flailed uselessly at the invisible force that had been suppressing her only moments before, even though it had vanished. Zelda didn't hear the frantic shouts of Link over her screams or his desperate pounding on the door. She continued in this state for a minute until she collapsed into an exhausted ball on her bed, reduced to whimpering. She could hear a voice calling to her now that her yelling had ceased, and immediately shot towards the door and flung it open. Link stood at the door, a mixture of fear and panic on his face; immediately the girl threw herself into his arms and broke down crying.

"Zel! _Zelda!_ What is it, what's wrong?!"

"Oh, Link…!" She sobbed into his shirt, unable to speak. He realized after a moment that she was trembling horribly, and tried to console her in a tight hug.

"Shh, it's okay…" he soothed, running a hand through her hair. "It's okay, I'm right here. You're safe now…"

"I…I had a vision!" she managed to choke. "He – He tried to take my Triforce…I-I wasn't able to do anything…I've n-never felt so scared in all my life!!!" She took a shaky breath before planting her forehead against his chest again while trying to remain stable. Her body shivered as she recalled the all-encompassing pain. "Link, he was trying to kill me!"

"I won't let him," Link said, tightening his grip around her. "I won't let him anywhere near you. I swear that I'll protect you!" There was a fierce tone to his voice as he possessively placed a hand on her head to hold her to him. "Zelda, I swear on my life to stand by your side. You don't need to be afraid, I'll be here for you."

Once she had finally calmed down, Link settled the exhausted princess into her covers and stayed with her until she had fallen asleep. He stood up and placed a tender kiss on her forehead while drawing the covers up before returning to his own room to rest.

Morning came quickly; the warrior hadn't slept a wink longer after the incident during the night. He stared at the ceiling as the sun gradually rose and spilled light in through his window, lost in thought. Realization suddenly hit him and he exhaled a breath of shock.

"My God…" he mumbled, placing a hand to his forehead. "I'm in love with the princess of Hyrule."

There was another soul unable to sleep elsewhere in the castle; a man sat hunched at the desk in his study, perched over an aged book.

"The Triforce, huh?" a gruff voice said in surprise and wonder. The big hands folded up the book, and with a smirk Ganondorf looked out into the morning haze. "Extraction…sounds fascinating." The man stood abruptly from his chair and with a determined strut headed off into the inner chambers of the castle.

* * *

Ack, ok – I didn't get to the intense stuff this chapter! _ Next one should definitely have some _holy crepe!_ moments now that the plot is going. Hope you are still enjoying!!

P.S. "Extraction" refers to the removal of someone's triforce, like what happened in the dream.

Interesting tidbit: One of the meanings of the gladiolus flower is "strength of character" and "natural grace," which I think fits Zel pretty nicely. And I just like the colour purple. *sweatdrops* Keep sticking around for more! =D


	8. Chapter 8

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A/N: Reviewers – I love you XD you make writing fanfiction so much fun~  
Umm, side note: this chapter was really long, so I had to divide it up…which meant more of the intense stuff got delayed again. I'm sorry! o.O

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda; my brain would explode with joy if I did.

* * *

Link wasn't quite sure what to do with the previous night's revelation and the sudden clarity of his feelings for Zelda. At first he'd been shocked, and then ecstatic, and then had spent the rest of the morning in a panicked fit. He knew he should have seen it coming and it should have been expected, but no sort of mental preparation could have readied him for the force with which the feelings hit; and now there was nothing he could do to stop them. An unexpected rapping on his door sent Link's heart into a startled frenzy. He got up and staggered across the room, disoriented from a lack of sleep. When he opened the door, Zelda was standing alert in the doorframe with a look of anxiety detailed in her eyes.

"It's gone!!" she cried forlornly. Link tried to clear the fog in his brain to make sense of what she was saying, but instead could only look at her with a blank stare.

"Wha?? What's gone?"

"The book!" she cried, ignoring the grogginess in his voice. "It's not on my desk, and I can't remember where I left it! My mind's still so caught up from last night that I can't think straight!"

"Whoa, whoa, Zel…" Link started, his eyes closed in a wince from being presented with too much information at once. "You had it with you at the bench in the garden last night, didn't you?"

"It's not there!"

Link scratched at his head sleepily while trying to wrack his brain. "Did you ask anyone else if they've seen it?"

"No one has…" Her voice trailed off and Zelda sighed defeatedly. "I didn't even get to finish it…" Link had to smile at the cute pout on her face, even though it wasn't an appropriate gesture considering the situation; fortunately, the distraught princess did not notice.

"I'm sure it will turn up. Give me a few minutes and I'll help you look for it." Her eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly left to let him get dressed and ready for the day. Link set about dressing in his normal gear which consisted of slightly tanned pants, an off-white shirt, and a green tunic that brought out the blue in his eyes. He went about the motions without really thinking about them, his mind dwelling elsewhere. Link pulled on some sturdy boots and finished by tugging a green cap over his unruly blonde hair before taking a deep breath and heading out of the room. Zelda was waiting patiently, which he thought seemed king of uncharacteristic for her, but smiled nonetheless. It was hard to look at her without staring now and it took great effort to act natural despite constantly being on a nervous edge. Zelda seemed oblivious to his inner torment and only smiled up at him sweetly.

"Ready?"

"After you, princess," he said with a wink.

* * *

King Daedalus was on his customary morning stroll throughout the castle. It had become so natural that the aged man did not even need to think about where he was going, his feet simply guided him down the familiar corridors of their own accord. When the queen was still alive, they would go on walks together, sometimes even venturing out into the town square of Castle Town to mix with the subjects. Now though, the king remained restricted to his castle, too ashamed to leave the safe confines of the stone walls. As he walked, Daedalus mulled over the words spoken to him that morning by Ganondorf while silently wondering what was causing his daughter's bitter distaste for the man. The combination of her sharp mind along with his detailed insight had the potential to pull Hyrule out of its dejected hole, but getting a balanced harmony between the two was becoming downright impossible. Zelda had the caring heart of her mother, but the unyielding stubbornness of her father.

King Daedalus smiled as he mulled over this with a mix of joy and sadness. He felt so distant from his daughter lately that it was nice to have the reminder that she was like him in some respects. But she was also strikingly different. Zelda wasn't afraid to act when she knew she needed to, something he could never do. And once she made a decision, she remained committed to it. This was why he had grown to have so much respect for her, even if they disagreed on a lot of things.

'_She'll make a great queen…_' he thought silently while coming upon the throne room.

The king stopped halfway up his ascent to the throne and fell into a quiet lull before turning abruptly and backtracking the same way he had come, his footsteps increasing with speed as he went.

'_I have to make things up with her._'

* * *

Elsewhere in the castle, two figures were quietly moving about within the library, intently examining different areas of the room as they went.

"Doesn't this remind you of when we were kids?" Link's voice drifted from underneath a side table in the library lounge. The two had been searching for a few hours and were starting to look in increasingly ridiculous places out of sheer desperation. On the other side of the room, Zelda lifted up the corner of a rug to peek at the floor underneath. She released the corner of the mat and let it drop back to its place on the ground before waving the dust in the air away.

"What, like when we used to play hide and seek?"

"No, more like that time you 'borrowed' your father's crown to play dressup and ended up loosing it during our sporadic broom duel through the castle. We spent an entire afternoon looking for it."

"We never did find that crown, did we?" Zelda stopped to ponder, a look of shame growing on her face. "Poor father thought we had been robbed…I never had the courage to tell him what really happened." Link sent a mischievous grin her way that immediately melted her guilty frown into a bright smile. "It's not like he didn't have more, though, so I don't see why it was such a big deal."

"Well, it's easy to see who you get your fussing from," Link drawled playfully as he crawled out from under the table. Zelda threw her hands on her hips and pretended to look insulted.

"I do not fuss!"

"Princess, you practically hyperventilated when we broke a vase at the top of the grand staircase when we were seven. This castle has a million of them." Zelda opened her mouth to respond, but was silenced by his victorious smirk directed her way.

"What about you?" she said instead as they moved into another section of the library to walk along the shelves. "When you lost that silly green hat of yours in the meadow once, you cried like a baby for four hours until we found it."

"I-I did not cry!" Link countered while his cheeks turned a brilliant red. "And this is my favourite hat!"

Realizing she had the upper hand, Zelda grinned triumphantly and bounced a pointed finger at him.

"I remember quite clearly how hard you wailed when you realized it was gone. Nothing would make you stop, not even your favourite candy. You only cheered up once we found it sitting on the ground by the fence. It was actually really cute."

"Hey, c'mon, you're killing any sense of manly pride that I have." Zelda elbowed him playfully before moving around to another bookshelf. "I love this hat, so of course I'd be sad if I lost i-ooph!" Link grunted as he suddenly walked straight into Zelda, who stopped without warning. While regaining his composure, the princess spun around and looked up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. With a sense of unease, he leaned back from the familiar expression that indicated she was plotting some sort of scheme. "What?" he asked hesitantly.

"So would you still cry if it happened to go missing?"

Link stuck out his lower lip and pulled the cap tightly to his head.

"There's now way I'd ever let anything happen to this hat, I keep it close to me no matter what."

"Oh." Zelda turned away and Link relaxed, but just as his hands dropped to his side, she spun around and snatched the garment from his head in one fluid motion. Link gasped, an appalled expression of horror plastered on his face, as the princess took off through a nearby corridor laughing wildly. A split second later he was in hot pursuit, bounding after the thief with incredible speed. Zelda was usually faster than him inside the castle, but he refused to let her make off with one of his most treasured possessions. Once he was several steps behind her, Link lurched forward and caught her waist in his strong arms, sending them both tumbling headlong down the aisle; the two entangled youngsters continued to spin in a tangled mass before rolling to a stop several feet away.

Zelda looked up to see a disoriented pair of blue eyes blinking down at her, obviously just as dazed as she was. He in turn looked at the startled girl while they tried to get their bearings. Suddenly his edge of his mouth twitched, and a moment later Link was cracking up with laughter. It didn't take long for Zelda to join in, and the two simply remained in a jumbled mess on the floor, laughing hysterically until it hurt to breath.

"Take it!" Zelda gasped between breaths, shoving the hat his way before rounding off into another spiel of giggles. "The wrath of Link is truly terrifying!"

Link took it from her and smugly smacked it back onto his head while puffing out his chest.

"Serves you right," he said with a bright grin before ruffling her hair, to which Zelda cried in protest. "You conniving child." They laughed some more until their amusement finally died down and they were able to stand again. At first they headed toward the library, but a sudden thought caused Link to drift to a stop.

"What is it?" Zelda asked, directing her attention towards him. Link looked thoughtful for a minute before meeting her gaze.

"I totally forgot that I'm supposed to have a meeting with the captain today to decide on what our fleets should do. He'll probably understand what with what happened last night, but I'm most likely late." Link sighed into his hand before looking at the princess apologetically. "Will you be ok looking by yourself while I go meet with him? Once it's done I'll come to help you again." Zelda nodded, and Link smiled gratefully. "Sorry about this," he whispered, giving her hand a small squeeze before running off. Zelda waved as he departed, then turned to head down a new corridor. The library had yielded no clue to the book's whereabouts, so she instead decided to try the gardens again. They'd already looked there twice, but one more time couldn't hurt and just might prove worthwhile.

* * *

Link arrived at the captain's headquarters in a state of breathlessness, much to the captain's amusement. Normally a knight would have been scolded for being late, but he often made exceptions for the charming boy who no one could really stay angry at for more than five seconds. It was very rare that Link was late anyway and usually was prompt, often arriving earlier than needed, so the captain easily overlooked his incidental tardiness.

"Glad you could make it," the captain joked, the characteristic sternness in his voice not really suited for the wisecrack. Link straightened up apologetically while trying to look as attentive as possible, but his wide eyes betrayed the calm aura he sent out. Still amused, the captain struggled to keep a smile from tugging at the corner of his lip. "So, I assume you know why I called you here today…"

"Is it related to what we talked about yesterday?" Link ventured. The captain nodded, and they both took a seat at his wooden table.

"It's been decided. We're going to fight."

"…I see…" Link replied, folding his hands and biting his lip. That wasn't the answer he was expecting. "Captain…is that wise?"

The older man sat back in his chair and exhaled a gust of air through his nose. "Maybe not," he said while tossing an arm across the back of the chair. "But our enemies certainly won't be expecting it. The deadline the gave us to reply is still a few months off…during that time, we're going to build our army up as much as possible. And then hit them with everything we've got!" He moved forward again to stare Link in the eye. "They won't see it coming, and it's the only chance we have at fighting them back. Otherwise, Hyrule is lost."

"Can we really pull it off…?" Link ventured quietly while shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "Even if we win, they may retaliate."

"Normally I don't like to make risky moves…but in this situation, I see no other choice. I think if we plan it well enough, it's doable."

A heavy silence fell in the room; Link mulled the tentative plan over in his head while twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly. Finally, he looked up at the captain.

"Have you talked this over with the king?"

"Last night, after you dropped by. Which reminds me, how is Princess Zelda doing? With everything that's going on, I'm amazed that she hasn't broken down yet."

"The princess is impressively strong-willed," Link said quickly, looking away. "I didn't tell her what you told me, or at least not yet; it's too much for her right now. I have the same fear, however." Link looked down at his folded hands on the table and fell silent; the captain stared at the young lad in silence for a moment before smirking lightly.

"You're fond of her, aren't you?"

"C-Captain?" Link's head shot up at the sudden turn of the conversation and felt his face begin to burn. '_I'm dead I'm dead I'm dead!_'

"I've seen a lot in my lifetime, boy, and that includes the look of a young man in love. Please don't try to deny it, it'd just piss me off." He sighed and straightened up in his chair again. "You shouldn't even be worried, you know I hate gossip. I won't say a word."

"T-Thanks…" Link mumbled, unsure of what else to say and not really wanting to talk about it much either.

"I just want to warn you – don't let you thinking get clouded because of it. I need you to be able to make good judgments that won't be hampered by feelings. Understood?"

"Y-Yes sir." Link fumbled. Content, the captain rose from his seat and clapped a hand on Link's shoulder.

"That will be all for today. Training starts tomorrow, so I'll be seeing you bright and early." The men nodded to each other before going their separate ways, although Link was nowhere near as confident in the plan as the captain was. A disturbing sense of unease festered in his stomach, leaving him with a queasy feeling. Link decided that he should probably lie down and rest a bit before continuing his search with Zelda, and headed back towards the bedroom chambers.

* * *

The same princess that kept bubbling up in his thoughts was making her way back from the gardens in a gait of defeat, her shoulders sagged and eyes downcast. Her last attempt to find the book had proved unsuccessful and finally caused the princess to admit defeat. Instead she headed for her room, where she hoped a visit to the breezy balcony might help clear her thoughts. As Zelda was walking, her mind caught up in varying thoughts, she didn't notice a shadow lurking to the side of some of the pillars along the hallway. It wasn't until a heavy boot stepped out from the shadows that she jumped in fright and stepped back to look up at the sudden intruder.

"Zelda!" a deep voice called out with such a chilling tone that Zelda visibly shivered. Ganondorf strolled out from his hiding place, exuding a dark air about him that made her skin crawl; the malicious look on his face only further petrified the princess. "I've found you at last! And how fortunate for me that you're finally alone!"

"W-What is it, Ganondorf?" she said while backing up slightly, trying very hard to keep her voice from quaking. "It's rude to startle people like that."

"So sorry princess," he said in a way that was more distracted than sincere. "It's just that I've been looking for you all morning."

"Is there something you wish to discuss?" she asked instead. A mental warning was blaring in her mind to turn and run, but her stubborn nature held her in place. Zelda straightened up in an effort to appear more intimidating, but paled in comparison to the large bulk of Ganondorf's looming figure. An eerie cackle bubbled up in his throat.

"Discuss? No, there will be no discussion here!" As his voice rose in volume, a large hand shot out and took hold of the princess by her upper left arm. Zelda cried in alarm before trying to pry him off, but the pressure exuded by his squeezing hands only increased in response. He jerked her forward so that she was drooped below him and released a menacing hiss.

"I know you have it," he sneered with disgust while taking hold of her right hand. The princess tried to struggle free again, but a quick twist to her left arm created a shooting pain that quickly stifled her efforts. "A piece of the Triforce. And you are going to surrender it to me."

"What?" Zelda gasped. She finally turned to look him deliberately in the eye. "How do you know about that?! And what makes you think I would give it to you??" She winced when he twisted her arm further until it was painfully distorted.

"If you resist, I might be forced to do this:" Using one hand to pin Zelda's left arm behind her back, he used the other to quickly slip the white glove off of her right hand before forcefully lifting her wrist into the air. An incomprehensible series of words escaped his lips in a low whisper. Zelda lifted her head back to try and see what he was doing, but a sudden ripping sensation jolted her back and froze her in place. With horror, she glanced at her own outstretched hand, the source of the pain, and watched as the image of the Triforce slowly appeared in gold while setting off a faint glow. Ganondorf smiled victoriously from behind her. A similar glow could be seen appearing on the back of his own hand.

"You have a piece of the Triforce?" A faint voice of disbelief escaped her lips, barely above a whisper. All of her fears up until now finally amassed into a sickening feeling in her stomach, which in combination with the burning on her hand made the princess feel dizzy and faint. Visions from her nightmare raced back in full force now, as she quickly realised what his intent was; the worst thing was, she was so petrified that she couldn't even stop it from happening.

"With this, I would have two thirds of the Triforce!" Ganondorf laughed to himself as he watched the symbol on her hand grow brighter. "If I can find the final piece, the Triforce would be mine!! All of Hyrule, all of _EXISTENCE_! Nothing would stand in my way!" His gaze dropped back to the princess, who was beginning to buckle from the pain, and smirked. "Aren't you honoured to be helping me achieve something so magnificent?"

"LET ME GO!" she screamed, trying to yank her arm free with whatever strength she had. The pain was beginning to snake into her upper arm now. His grip tightened and Zelda immediately screamed while recoiling in pain. It was every bit as agonizing as her dream, only worse. The emblem on her skin suddenly faded into a deep black, and Zelda knew there was little time left to stop him now. Just as the pain began to increase again, a sudden blur of green in her peripheral vision distracted Zelda momentarily. A flash later, an irritated grunt could be heard coming from Ganondorf. The heavy force tying her down lifted and was replaced by a light feeling. Caught off guard and weakened from the attack, Zelda fell forward but was caught by a strong arm before she hit the floor. When she looked up, an angered Link was bent with his sword drawn. He said nothing to her, but only glowered at Ganondorf with a furious expression; the other man was attempting to stop what looked like blood from seeping from a wound in his shoulder.

"Damn you!" Ganondorf growled while examining the cut before scowling at them. A new fire of fury burned in his eyes, but Link didn't back down. Instead he straightened, moved in front of Zelda protectively, and glared at Ganondorf though the loose hair that hung in his eyes.

"What you've done is unforgivable," Link whispered darkly, his voice far from its usual light-hearted tone. He lifted his sword so that the tip pointed directly at Ganondorf's throat. The man didn't even flinch. "Do you know how serious a crime it is to make an attempt on the royal family's life? And you even have the nerve to do it in broad daylight, right here in the middle of a hall?!" Link's face contorted with rage as his voice rose; Ganondorf took a step back, but was immediately halted by a blade touching indelicately to his skin. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Link spoke slowly, his voice laden with verbal venom. "Normally guards would throw you in jail for your actions, but I have no reservations about taking your life here and now after you tried to hurt Zelda. It would be unwise to provoke me any further."

"Link!!" Several guards ran up behind him and Zelda, alerted of the commotion from the screams earlier. They quickly noted the position of his sword at Ganondorf's throat and surrounded the two men. "What has happened??"

"This man tried to take Zelda's life," Link spoke calmly, still not lowering his sword. "Take him to the King immediately." The soldiers complied at once and set about binding his hands. Ganondorf kept his narrowed eyes on Link, displeasure plainly evident on his face.

"Too bad I couldn't finish the job," he mocked, sending a snide grin in Zelda's direction. She shrank into Link, who growled in response.

"I'll never let you lay a hand on her again!" he spat. His fingers tightening around the sword's hilt caught Ganondorf's attention, who noticed a faint glow emitting from Link's glove.

"That light," Ganondorf muttered in surprise, his eyes growing wide. Link's gaze became confused, and he glanced down at his hand momentarily. The light grew brighter before a flash suddenly filled the hall, causing everyone to yell in alarm before covering their eyes. A second later that flash had cleared, and Link's hand returned to normal. Perplexed, Link stared at it in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he had seen.

'_Was that the light of the Triforce just now?_'

"YOU HAVE IT!!!" Ganondorf roared while struggling at his binds as the surrounding men attempted to keep him at bay. "I SAW IT! YOU HAVE THE FINAL PIECE!!!"

Link backed up a few paces as the seemingly insane man before him thrashed with desperation; behind him, Zelda cowered on the floor.

"Wh-What sort of power has taken over you?" Link muttered, clearly unsettled by the display. New footsteps rang along the hall, and everyone turned to see the King rushing forward with concern.

"Link!! ZELDA!! What's going on here??" King Daedalus knelt by his trembling daughter, who gratefully sunk into his broad arms. He threw a questioning glance at Link, who finally turned serious and regained composure.

"Ganondorf tried to-"

"He tried to kill me," she finally spoke up, though her voice was barely audible. Link nodded in confirmation, at which point Daedalus began to boil.

"Ganondorf," the King seethed, his voice impressively intimidating. "I don't know what your reason behind this is, but such actions are _**unforgivable**_ within my castle! How _**DARE **_you attack my daughter!!! I _**TRUSTED**_ you!"

By now the King was standing eye to eye with the bound man, both fuming, which created an intimidating pressure in the air of the room. Everyone held their breath at the confrontation, not daring to make a sound as the two faced off.

"From this time forward you are sentenced to exile," King Daedalus spoke in the steadiest voice he could muster. "I forbid you to come near this castle ever again. If you are caught in my sight one more time, there _will_ be an order for you execution." He backed off and turned away before looking coldly over his shoulder at the fuming prisoner. "The best choice would be to leave quietly with my escorts, without a struggle. And I'll say it once more: Never come near here again."

Ganondorf growled, but said nothing and let himself be directed along the hall with the guards until he was out of sight. Daedalus stood staring down the hall in silence while Link bent down to pull Zelda into a comforting hug. Feeling safe now that the threat was gone, she sighed gratefully and held on to him a moment before standing up. King Daedalus looked at them both solemnly.

"Be on your guard from now on…We can't be sure what to expect…" He put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder and looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm sorry Zelda, I should have trusted you but didn't. From now on I promise not to disregard your opinion…Will I be forgiven?"

"Father…" Zelda whispered, her eyes watering. The embraced quietly, as if to release any trace of resentment that existed between them. Once they pulled apart, Daedalus smiled sadly and began to speak again.

"I'm not sure what will happen to Hyrule now," he said with heavy regret. "Ganondorf was the one factor that kept our politics on semi-stable ground. Now that he's gone, I fear the worst for our country…"

Zelda tried to smile and squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"We'll figure it out, father. There's got to be a way."

"That's my daughter," he chuckled before turning to leave. "I better go talk to the council about this. Will you be alright?"

"I'll protect her, your Majesty." Link interjected with fierce sincerity. "You have my word."

"All right then," he smiled, relaxing visibly. "Take care you two. I shall see you soon." The King departed, leaving Link and Zelda in an empty silence that left both feeling uncomfortable. Zelda was visibly shaken from the entire event and Link wasn't sure what he should do, so he chose to brush some of the bangs from her face that had become dislodged. She met his eyes suddenly.

"I'm so glad you showed up," she said, her frail voice cracking with emotion.

"Aw Zel…" Link mumbled, distressed to see her in this state. "I'm just sorry I wasn't there sooner. It was foolish to leave you by yourself."

"Neither of us thought he would do something," she replied, looking away. "At least not something that forward…" Zelda's head shot up suddenly, and she looked at Link with wide eyes. "While you were talking to him, there was that burst of light…! It had to be the Triforce of Courage awakening in you! Ganondorf had one too, like we suspected…the Triforce of Power…" They both frowned from the troubling news; if he had that piece, then he certainly posed an imminent threat. Link stared at the back of his own hand, amazed that this hidden power had been residing in him for so long. He wondered what sort of gifts would be bestowed upon the wielder of courage, but shook his head after a moment and plopped the hand on Zelda's head.

"Let's get out of here." He sighed with an encouraging smile. "Today's been pretty depressing all around, and I start training tomorrow, so it's our last full day to ourselves. What do you feel like doing?" He gave the princess an inquisitive look, who blinked in surprise.

"You want to go outside? After what just happened??"

Link winked at her concern.

"After what just happened, the palace grounds are going to be _crawling_ with soldiers. Besides, anywhere we go in here will be moody and depressing, and we've both had enough of _that_." He took her hand and began to direct her towards the stairs, which at first she protested. "I meant what I said to your father," his soft voice rose suddenly, which sent Zelda's heart into a wave of oscillations. "I'll defend you with every bit of strength that I have."

Since he walked in front of her, Link could not see her blush, but both began to feel at ease now that the tension of the situation began to wear off. For an afternoon they let themselves forget the fears and anxieties that had slowly built up in their hearts and unloaded their burdens for a short time. Unbeknownst to them, a storm was brewing in the West that would soon come to swallow Hyrule up in an inescapable cloud of chaos.

* * *

Okay, yeah, I really don't know what I was doing with this chapter. ACK. It's full of weird scenes that I did not plan on including and extra fluff, but hopefully some of you like that. I was kinda lazy this go around, so I apologize. Intensity is coming soon! ^.^


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Whew, I really have no idea where this story is taking me now. It keeps pulling 180s in my brain which I am compelled to write. Hopefully that's a good thing. Let's see where it will take us next, shall we?

EDIT: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get up…I ended up rewriting it because I disliked the first draft so much. I made it a long one as my way of making it up! Anyway, sorry for the delay D:

WARNING: Some violence in this one, but nothing horrible.

Disclaimer: I have no copyright, partial copyright, or even smidgets of a copyright to the Legend of Zelda or its characters. I've written this 9 times now, it's getting depressing…

* * *

Several months passed by in Hyrule Castle with an uneasy quietness. King Daedalus had tripled the guard of the castle and the army was in intense training, but nothing could erase the sense of foreboding that everyone felt in the air. The deadline to reduce the army had been shortened, and now only two months remained before foreign countries declared their assault. Even with such a short time left to enjoy life, everyone kept to themselves and waited silently for the anticipated end to come. Zelda tried to see Link as much as she could, but this was difficult since he was almost constantly training for the upcoming battle to be launched against their unknowing enemies. The princess was one of the few who remained hopeful, but everyday she grew more disheartened by the evident defeat in everyone's eyes. The change in her spirit was blatantly obvious to Link, but he couldn't bring himself to talk to her about it, as if verbal acknowledgment of this change would break whatever remaining endurance she had left.

While pondering this, Link sat perched along the side of his bed in the dimmed room while running his fingers along the smooth edge of a worn blade. It was a gift from the captain upon Link's decision to become vice-captain of the Hyrulian army, and supposedly had been passed on previously from the king himself. Link stared, half-mesmerized, at the sheen double-edged sword carefully balanced in his fingers before tracing around the golden emblem of the Triforce that rested above the hilt. Zelda had told him about this ancient brand, the Blade of Evil's Bane, the sword which had been wielded by the legendary Hero of Time to defeat Ganon long ago. At some point it fell into the hands of the Royal Family long after its legend had been lost, but even now the sword felt as if it were alive in his hands. Link had never encountered a sword such as this in all of his years as a warrior.

"Am I even worthy of such an honour…" he wondered doubtfully. His mind reverted back to thinking about the impending war, as it often did, causing his heart to drop. Even with the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword, he could die. It was very, very likely that he could die, especially if the enemy's armies were as large as the rumours said. Link knew this. His mind suddenly turned to Zelda, the only other thing that occupied his thoughts, and smiled softly. "Zel," he murmured to himself heavily, "I wish I could tell you. About my feelings, now that I know they are certain." He lifted his left hand and stared into his palm blankly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his chest. "I can't bring myself to when things are as they are. I might be a fool for waiting until after the battle, but…you have to know they're sincere, not some act of desperation in the event that I die." It would also provide further motivation for him to come out alive. A part of him still doubted the wisdom of this decision, but Link was content enough that he wasn't bothered and could instead anticipate the day his chance would come. Since it was one of his rare evenings off, he decided to find Zelda and spend some time with her; it was one of the last chances he would get. His large boots clunked against the hard wood floors as he placed the Master Sword carefully against the wall before turning to leave in search of the princess.

Elsewhere in the castle, another gift from the king was being examined by careful eyes. Zelda was sitting on the floor in the castle bower next to a large window that barely served as a source of light in the dimming sky. A small book was clenched in her hands that had evidently not been used in quite a long time considering the dust and tears it carried. Tentatively, Zelda lifted the front cover slowly to avoid ripping the seam, then let her eyes fall on the small print centered in the page. The flowing signature of her mother's name lay elegantly before her upon the page, largely faded but still eligible. With a shaky breath she turned to the next page and began to read the words written gracefully within the book, fighting back the tears that desperately wanted to spring from her eyes. A particular passage suddenly caught her attention, allowing her to focus.

_July 14  
_………  
_I got scolded yesterday for 'galavanting' with a dear friend of mind when I was instead scheduled to be studying my lessons with a private tutor. But I cannot import how overwhelmingly boring they are! It seems that freedom is a luxury I cannot have as long as I am contained within these stone walls. Mother is quite angry with me for spending time with him, but I feel compelled to anyway. He is a cherished man in my life whom I cannot imagine being away from. However I may be forced to…_

_I have been summoned to Hyrule Castle to meet the young king through personal invitation. I cannot say what an honour this is, however I worry for the Royal Family's intentions…I know their young son has just taken over the throne recently and is likely looking to marry so that the kingdom may have a queen. While qualified, I hardly want this. But it is not fit for me to deny such a request, so I shall go and meet with him. I will have plenty of time during the trip to think of an answer that will not offend anyone but shall also allow for my personal feelings to be understood. I just hope that he is kind or at least sympathetic; that would make the problem much easier._

_December 2  
_………  
_It has been decided that we shall marry. I am not pleased with this decision, but it was not mine to make in the first place. I should not have gotten my hopes up, for now I am devastated that I cannot live my life the way I please…How do they expect me to marry a man I do not love? I have always lived by my heart, and going against it like this will shatter me some day. I've considered everything, even running, but I know that I must do this for the sake of my family, and my people. Even so, that does not make it easier. As I hoped, King Daedalus is a kind man, and treats me well. I even daresay he dotes on me too much and turns to jelly where I am concerned but Hyrule needs a strong king. I will have work to do. Perhaps such a task can keep me from thinking of the heartbreak I feel as I make preparations to leave…_

Zelda stared at the entry for a long time, unnerved by the presence of her mother's conscience and the clarity of her feelings. It was as if she were suddenly alive again through her words, and Zelda's heart ached for her sorely missed existence. It seemed strange to have the account of her parents' early lives, so different from the one she remembered as a little girl. Curious, Zelda continued on further down the page to where a new entry was recorded.

_October 24  
_………  
_It's hard to imagine that in a few months a year will have passed since I came to Hyrule Castle. My heart no longer aches as it once did, however I do find myself missing home every now and then. The transition, while hard, has come to benefit me, and will continue to do so. Being married to the King is not as bad as I once thought it would be; he has done so much to make me feel welcome, and it has not been awkward ever since we began spending time together. Though it may take some time and is too early to tell, I feel that I may come to love this man…_

_November 17  
_………  
_Today I write with some exciting news. It seems I am with child. _

Zelda's heart skipped a beat.

_We're told it is to be born in the early spring. Initially I was anxious and scared, but now I cannot wait until the baby is born. Daedalus is hoping it will be a boy, but I have a hunch it will be a girl. I secretly hope it is so that I can point out to him in the future that my intuition is usually correct. That will save a _lot_ of time. Even though it's early, we've already decided on names. If it's a girl, we've both decided that we like the name Ze-_

Zelda slammed the book shut which created an abrupt echo in the room. Her heart was speeding at an abnormal pace as she tried to erase the memory of seeing her name. It was too much, too painful. She didn't have the heart to continue, so she set the book aside to reserve for a later date. Instead of calming down, however, a small knock on the door caused her to jump, thus amplifying her nerves. A second later the door creaked open and a blond head of hair peeked in timidly. Upon seeing her, Link's face broke out into a relieved smile.

"_There_ you are. You sure are tough to find when you want to make yourself scarce." Zelda smiled and he let himself in before joining the princess on the floor. He noticed the book laying to her side and gave an inquisitive glance which quickly became confused. "You've been reading?"

"Yeah," she replied, picking up the book once again. Usually she read in the library, so she understood why he seemed puzzled. "I got this from my father this morning." She lifted the book to give him a better view, "My mother's diary. From when she was young. He said he couldn't read it now that she's gone and decided I should have it…I was just reading some of the entries before you came in…"

Link shifted uncomfortably and tried to look apologetic for bringing the subject up. It was rare for them to talk about her mother, and both generally just avoided the matter if possible. Now that it had come up, though, he wasn't able to ignore the glum look on her face. His hand moved forward and flicked the tip of her nose playfully, making her twitch in surprise.

"You ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just…all of a sudden, it felt like she was here again. Sometimes it seems like she's still alive and just off somewhere else in the castle, but I've never felt it as strongly as I do now…" Zelda put the book down and sighed. "I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"She's right here, Zel." He motioned with his finger towards her heart, then smiled warmly. "I'm sure you miss her a lot, but remember that she and her family lived happily. There's nothing a mother would want more than that."

Zelda smiled in return and stood up suddenly, moving towards the nearby lattice balcony. Link followed into the cool evening air and joined her at the railing, where she gazed longingly at her countryside. Link sat with his back to the railing and propped one leg up to drape his arm across, and together they sat in reflective silence for a while. Seeing the town below brought reality crashing back down upon them once again, crushing their spirits in the process.

"The battle has yet to be fought and it feels as if we've already lost." The princess was crestfallen with the reality that she could take no action to protect her people, while the warrior was torn up by the reality that he couldn't protect those he cared for no matter what action he took. Injuries were a guarantee in warfare, and the possibility of death was imminent. The warrior stared down at his hands while feeling helpless.

"What can we do?" Link asked, pained with the plight at hand. "No matter which way we turn, walls are closing in on every side of us. I feel like I'm being suffocated, but can do absolutely nothing about it!" His hands balled into fists and a low growl of frustration rose in his throat. "I've never felt so useless in all my life!"

"Everyone's trying so hard…" Zelda whispered as she finally straightened up and turned to sit in the same direction as Link. Her eyes fell to her hands, which she nestled in her lap. "They know the likelihood of winning is very low, and yet they still try so hard despite that…I've never felt more proud of my people than I do right now. But I also feel so powerless as I watch them struggle, knowing that I can't help. Even with our pieces of the Triforce, in the scheme of things, we don't stand a chance…" Her head fell forward in defeat. To her left, Link fists shook and he quietly cursed under his breath. Her voice speaking up again averted his anger when she spoke in barely a whisper. "Link…Is this…the last time we'll spend together? With the battle so close, you're not going to be getting many breaks from now on, will you?"

"That's what the captain told us," Link spoke, his voice softened. "He said to treat this as a time to say any goodbyes, because we probably won't get another chance to after tonight."

Crestfallen at her confirmed speculation, Zelda's shoulders fell forward a bit and a look of mourning claimed her face. Link immediately wished the topic hadn't turned this direction and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"You know…I'll do my best to protect you, and King Daedalus, and Hyrule," the young man began, a tinge of confliction hidden in his voice. "But there's always the chance that…it's very possible that I might…"

Zelda's head shot up as Link's voice became quieter, before stopping to swallow a lump in his throat. He clenched his fists even tighter before continuing.

"Zelda…I might die…I want you to be prepared for that possibility. For all of us."

"Link…" her tiny voice quivered while several tears that had been threatening to fall finally slipped down her cheeks. "Don't say that…Please don't say things like that. If you go around saying things like how you'll probably die, then in your heart you've already accepted defeat…that kind of thinking makes you lose the value in life…" Another tear slipped down her cheek, which she hastily wiped away. "Promise me that you won't just be waiting to die – fight with the whole-hearted belief that you're going to live! I…I want you to live, Link!" Tears flowed down to her chin freely now and she made no effort to halt them. Link's heart ached at the sight, and a sudden wave of determination swelled within him while he reached out his arms. Zelda reciprocated the gesture willingly, and they met in a tender embrace.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. There was no longer anger or despair in his voice as he hugged her tighter. He couldn't promise that he wouldn't die, since there was no guarantee, but Link decided to do everything he could to prevent it from happening. "I know you'd never forgive me if I did." A sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sob drifted up from the sniffling girl, causing Link to smile. The heavy atmosphere lifted a little as they sat in comforting silence together for a while, trapped within their thoughts but unwilling to risk breaking the delicate peace that had formed. After a lapse of time had passed, Zelda spoke up quietly from within the confines of Link's arms.

"Hey, Link, I've been thinking…"

"Not _you_!" Link joked, earning an eye roll from Zelda. She straightened up so that she could see him at eye level again.

"Anyone who's been involved with the Triforce has experienced quite a bit of hardship as a result, haven't they? It makes me wonder if the existence of such a thing is even worthwhile…"

"I haven't really thought about it that way…"

"Do you see what I mean though? Those who wield the Triforce have a painful destiny. It would seem our battle never ends…we must fight…time and time again."

"Well, if past history is any indication of our likelihood of success, then we should feel encouraged." Link flashed a sincere smile that made Zelda feel a bit hopeful. "Evil has been banished from Hyrule many times before, and I bet many felt hopeless at the time as well. It's possible that our present day could survive to see a happy future in Hyrule."

Zelda nodded in sincere agreement and stood slowly before holding her hand out to him. He took it in his own and followed suit so that they could walk out to the hall and began the trek towards their rooms, which was over far too soon.

"Get a good sleep," Zelda advised as she stepped back inside her door. "You have to train again tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah," Link nodded while turning back to face her before crossing the hall. "We're almost ready. Just a little bit longer. But…we may have to depart without warning, so I may or may not get to see you off." A sad shadow surfaced in Zelda's eyes briefly before the princess changed her mind and flashed a bright smile instead

"We'll all be cheering you on, so make sure to come back safe, ok? I want you to see me usher in a new Hyrule," she said half jokingly, but was clearly serious. He smiled back before turning away to head into his room. "And Link-" he stopped and turned to face her again. "Thank you."

"You're the one deserving thanks," Link chuckled. His eyes lifted to meet hers softly, now a deep shade of blue in the darkened hallway. "I'd like to see that. A new Hyrule. I have complete faith that you could do it too, so make sure you're here when I get back. I want to see it with you."

"Okay…it's a promise. You have no excuse to die now, okay?!"

They both smiled before nodding in a departing gesture to retire to their respective rooms, feeling much better now that their feelings of anxiety and worry had been largely resolved. A tiny portion of their hope, though barely worth noting, had been restored, and for the first time in weeks they were able to sleep peacefully.

* * *

As planned, training that morning started bright and early. It was overcast and chilly despite the time of year, but the well-trained soldiers barely took notice as they practiced within their finely-tuned formations. The army was situated in a field within eyeshot of the castle and worked relentlessly for the entire duration of the morning and well into the afternoon. Most did not notice when a light rain began to fall, quickly increasing the miserable conditions for the soldiers. It was evident that the army was getting stronger, but everyone worried whether it would be enough considering the enemy they faced.

Once it was late afternoon, the captain gave orders for a rest, which the soldiers gratefully accepted. Link sat beside him atop a nearby boulder to eat their daily meal in silence. Once finished, Link finally turned to the captain.

"The men are getting nervous. I'm quite uneasy myself, now that the deadline approaches."

"We all are." The captain stated simply. "But that doesn't change what we have to do."

"I know," Link sighed to himself, turning away. "I just wish there was something I could say to them to get their hopes up, or lift their spirits. They all look so defeated."

"I'm not exactly the type to lie to my men and give optimistic speeches where they are not due. Feel free to try if you like."

The captain busied himself with cleaning the edge of his blade, at which Link decided to fall silent. The captain always got touchy whenever a battle was coming up and tended to block everyone out so that he could stay focused. Link was about to stand up and follow his advice, but stopped when a slight vibration trembled through the ground under his feet. Arching a confused eyebrow, he leaned forward to get a better look and realized small pebbles resting on the dirt were lifting off the ground in tune with the tremors. He looked at the captain with wide eyes, who in turn looked horrified as he watched the quakes get stronger and faster. In a blur of motion he shot up, fully drew his sword, and yelled out as loud as his lungs would allow.

"THEY'VE COME EARLY! EVERYONE AT THE READY, WE'RE BEING AMBUSHED!!!"

Link felt his heart stop as the captain's words reached his ears. Two months earlier than planned. Two months? They weren't ready. There was no way they were ready for this. And then he heard something else that turned his blood cold.

"Captain! Hyrule Castle is under attack! They've already infiltrated the bridge! Ganondorf is leading them!"

Before anyone else could react, foreign screams rang out and a sea of unfamiliar soldiers spotted the horizon in the distance. Grunting fiercely, the captain raised his sword into the sky with pride.

"BATTLE STATIONS! THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE TRAINED FOR! **SHOW NO FEAR**!!!"

In what felt like seconds, the field was covered in clashing swords and cries of ferocity and pain. Link darted through as many soldiers as he could, making sure to keep the captain in sight. Soon the foul stench of blood hung in the air as the wounded fell. Link remained focused, despite being on the verge of panic. It was evident to tell that the Hyrulian army was struggling against the onslaught and quickly began to wane.

"LINK!" The captain's voice called out over the roar of men and clashing of metal. "GET TO THE CASTLE! STOP GANONDORF!! I HAVE TO STAY WITH MY MEN!" He was swallowed up in the sea of soldiers at that point, causing Link to finally loose sight of him. Yelling with frustration, he quickly dealt a heavy blow to his opponent before cutting through a barrage of enemies. After what seemed an eternity, Link was able to escape the large mob of men engaged in heavy battle so that he could tell which direction the castle was in. With great difficulty Link made his way towards the castle while trying to avoid the array of fallen bodies that littered the field; he made a point not to look at them lest he see a face that he recognized. No matter how fast he ran, however, it seemed that his legs would not carry him fast enough…

* * *

The corridors of the castle were eerily silent compared to the chaos of the battlefield outside. With Hyrule's entire army off of the immediate castle grounds, the inhabitants had been easy to pick off and overthrowing the castle proved to be no challenge. Amidst this quiet scenario, one man walked quietly past the limp bodies towards the throne room, seemingly unbothered by the state of things around him. Two soldiers bowed immediately as he stopped before the doors, then proceeded to open them for him. With a wicked smile, the broad man sauntered into the room confidently with a pleased look as he observed his surroundings. At the throne was seated the King, who looked rather alarmed to see him there. His surprise quickly turned to anger that was evident in his narrowed eyes and bulging temple.

"Ganondorf…! How _dare_ you step foot inside this castle again!" King Daedalus rose abruptly from his seat upon the intrusion. Ganondorf strode in further with a sinister grin and stopped at the foot of the stairs leading up to the royal platform.

"It was foolish to make yourself my enemy," he growled into the face of the king through clenched teeth. "And now you shall watch as I destroy everything you hold dear. I will throw your kingdom into ruin. Your daughter shall suffer at the foolishness of your actions. And you will be **powerless!**" His hand shot out and snatched the king's throat in an iron grip.

"Zelda…!" he wheezed helplessly. With no effort, Ganondorf hoisted the king from the platform into the air so that he dangled just above the steps. His expression had changed from amusement to pure rage.

"Had you listened to her, then maybe your lives would have been spared. She never trusted me from the start, but you wouldn't listen to her no matter how many times she approached you. You have failed in both your duty as a father and your duty as a king! All that remains is a pitiful man with nothing left to do in his life but despair!"

A horrified gasp escaped the king as sudden pain seared in his chest. He looked down at Ganondorf with a mixture of terror and confusion, only to receive a twisted smirk from the Gerudo king. Still clutching his throat, Ganondorf slowly withdrew a blade from the king's torso before letting the man drop to the floor. Daedalus tumbled down the stairs before landing with a sickening thud at the bottom, where the floor began to be stained with warm blood. The king gasped for air irregularly while grasping his chest in agony. Slowly Ganondorf descended the steps behind him, an ironic smirk darkening his facial features as he approached the crippled man.

"How does it feel, your Majesty?" he mocked, his eyes alight with amusement. "Can you feel everything you love being ripped from you all at once? It must be painful…but I am not merciful enough to put you out of your misery!" His leg shot into the king's side, who shouted with pain while being rolled onto his back. A moment letter Ganondorf's foot slammed onto his wound, knocking the wind out of the king.

"STOP IT!!!"

Ganondorf looked up with a slight hint of surprise before his eyes landed on the intruder. Zelda was standing in a nearby doorway, shaking, with a look of complete horror etched on her face. While staring at her father, she lifted her shaking hands to cover her face; tears spilled out of her eyes at the shock of the scene before her.

"W-What have you done, Ganondorf?" she asked, her voice trembling terribly. "Father…!" She reached out for the fallen man and began to run towards them; Ganondorf immediately removed his foot from the king's chest and began to stalk towards her.

"Z-Zelda!!" Daedalus cried, grabbing hold of whatever voice he had left. "S-STAY BACK!" He struggled to hoist himself up, only to fail and collapse to the floor once again. Unable to move, he reached his hand out towards his daughter, whose form was now blurry thanks the foggy vision clouding his eyes. He could barely see her reaching out before being snatched forcefully by Ganondorf's looming form. Somewhere in the distant he heard her voice screaming his name, but found himself unable to respond.

Zelda thrashed in Ganondorf's iron grasp, kicking and twisting in whatever way she could to break free. For an instant she managed to break away and dashed for her father's side, but a sharp tug from her hair sent her slamming into the ground. With little effort Ganondorf snatched Zelda by the wrist and plucked her from the floor before shoving her against a nearby wall. A ragged gasp escaped her throat before the princess collapsed from the impact. Booming laughter filled the throne room and reverberated off the wall, creating an eerie echo. Ganondorf tossed the unconscious princess over his shoulder and began to leave, but stopped to hover a moment above the wounded king.

"You played right into my hands," his sinister voice applauded. "At first I only aspired to gain control of this kingdom through earning your trust and dependency. However…" Ganondorf raised his right hand to reveal a gleaming triangle that set off a distinct glow in the darkened room. "It seems that I have developed a higher ambition. My plan is now in motion…" He looked down at the wheezing man and pretended to look disheartened. "It's a shame that you won't be here to see the end of it."

"You're – mad!" King Daedalus spat through forced breaths. The only reply was a malevolent grin so sinister in appearance that the king felt his blood run cold. The foreboding man continued on towards the door while his cape fanned out behind him, the comatose princess draped effortlessly over his shoulder. King Daedalus watched the man's back move farther and farther away, until all he could hear was heavy footsteps and roaring laughter. His vision now too blurred to make distinction between human and object, he succumbed to the pain and finally let his drooping eyes close.

* * *

After an excruciating run and many close calls, Link finally managed to make it inside the castle. Upon seeing the wide array of dead bodies, he immediately feared the worst and continued on, not really processing what he was doing or what he planned to do. Link dashed into the throne room, making no effort to hide his presence or the violent heaves that wracked his breathing. With wide, horrified eyes he observed the scene, seeing that the room looked rather plain, until he noticed that crumpled figure on the floor. His breath hitched at sight of the man's face, sending Link immediately to the man's side.

"K…King Daedalus!" He gasped, and with a struggle lifted the man into a semi-upright position. At first there was no response, only a strange weezing that was barely audible. "Your Majesty, what has happened?? Can you hear me?! King Daedalus!!"

"…L….i…nk….Is that…you…?" he barely breathed, his eyes only opening a sliver at the familiar voice. The King's eyes closed and very slowly he raised a hand to search for the boy, which Link took in his own.

"Yes, Sir. It's me, it's Lin…" The words died off when he noticed the wound in the man's chest, undoubtedly the reason he barely clung to life now. With a sickening feeling in his stomach, Link realized Hyrule's King only had seconds left to live before the pain would be too much. Tears of sorror and horror welled up, stinging his eyes and blurring his vision.

"Zel…da…" he moaned, clenching Link's hand with despair. "Link…he took her…Ganon…he…" Coughing racked his body, sending violent tremors through him as he forced his body to fight with every ounce of strength he had left. "Please…save her. I…trust…you…"

"King Daedalus," Link whispered, unable to come to terms with what was happening.

"You're…a good man…take…care…of…her…" he managed to breathe before his eyes rolled back and his body became limp, causing his hand to fall from Link's. Link fell forward a bit under the dead weight, his breath ragged and heartbeat irregular.

"King Daedalus…!" he said again, met only with silence. Tears spilled from his cheeks and fell down onto the man's still face, now free of life or pain. Link eased the broken man down onto the floor and sat back, staring blankly with wide, unbelieving eyes. The King of Hyrule was dead. Many of Hyrule's inhabitants had been brutally and mercilessly slaughtered. His friends and fellow soldiers were likely being killed by the enemy at this very moment. And the woman he loved and promised to protect had been taken away by the man behind it all. Never before had Link felt so completely broken. Overcome with sorrow, he threw himself against the marble floor and released an anguished cry that echoed far throughout the castle chambers…

* * *

Wow. That was…depressing. x_X Um, please stay posted for the next chapter?

Interesting tidbits of knowledge regarding this chapter:  
-the other man Zelda's mother wrote about in her diary was none other than the dear captain of the Hyrulian army. Remember how he told Link he knew the look of a young man in love? This was how he knew; personal experience.  
-he went to Hyrule with her to serve as her guardian, even after she married Daedalus. Zelda is distressed about the possible parallel to her life someday.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

A/N: Ok, so you all know how frustrating it is when you find a story that you really like and are just getting into, but all of a sudden discover that it hasn't been updated in forever meaning that you don't get to read more? Don't authors who do that drive you crazy?! …Oh wait…I'm one of them, aren't I? …..*silence* I'M SO SORRY! D: I'll try to make it up to you!!! Anyway, on to what I originally intended to say:

Woohoo, 10 chapters! Thanks for all of the encouragement and sticking with the story up to this point!! :D

Disclaimer: You should know I don't own the Legend of Zelda by now. If I did, Link and Zelda would be married and have babies already xD

* * *

Carefree laughter rang through the warm spring air and carried on the wind. Two young Hylians frolicked without restraint in a playful game of tag across the field, Zelda running and Link in pursuit, reminiscent of their childhood days. Link was much faster, but he let Zelda run ahead of him for awhile before sweeping her up in a tackle-hug. The two fell to the ground in an uncontrollable fit of laughter that lasted until their sides hurt. When they recovered enough to sit up, Zelda glanced at Link and giggled while removing small clumps of dirt and twigs from his hair.

"You look like you've just gotten in a fight with a haystack – and lost," she mused while plucking more debris from his hair.

"Give me some credit, have _you_ ever fought a haystack? They're deceptively innocent, far more fierce than you make them out to be."

"Link!" she dismissed jokingly before pointing her face toward the sky. It was a clear day, sunny and still warm despite the breeze. A falcon passed by overhead, drifting lazily on an undetectable current. Link followed her gaze and admired the creature above as well. After a silence had past, Zelda sighed and carried her mind back down to where they sat. "I wish I had wings…"

"Being a grounded person isn't always bad, Zel." Link answered lightly.

"Easy for you to say, Link. You're not tied down by anything."

"That's not true," he answered, turning to look at her. She lifted a curious eyebrow, but he chose not to respond and instead poked at a plant on the ground. "You've got roots to keep you in place. You can't get washed around and you draw strength from your surroundings. Wind…Wind gets pushed around and doesn't control where it goes." A sad look surfaced somewhere in his eyes, but Link pretended to act like his words weren't bothersome. Zelda glanced at the plant with resentment.

"Roots don't let you go anywhere," she stated with a hint of yearning. "You can't see the world -- it'll always be the same scenery for your entire life. There's nothing else, no bigger picture to explore. Trapped…"

"It's a promise then."

"Huh?" she threw him a confused glance. Link smiled down at her sincerely.

"I'll take you on a journey through Hyrule someday. It's a promise."

"Really?"

"Yep," he laughed, pulling a green hat over his messed head of hair. They stood up and Link offered a hand to Zelda once Epona wandered over. With a smile she accepted and was hoisted onto the mare's back.

"It's a promise then."

* * *

Zelda woke from the dream with a start, only to realize that she inhabited a pitch-black room. Recollection flooded back to her so quickly that it felt as if she had been slammed into a stone wall. She sat in a cold cell somewhere within the confines of a castle and assumed that she had simply woken in the night, though it was hard to tell since the prison was always dark. Four months had passed since being brought here after the outbreak of war within Hyrule and the overthrowing of the kingdom. Zelda had not seen Link or her father since that day and had no way to know whether they were still alive.

The dream that had woken her was a flashback to one of the many moments she and Link had shared before he went off for military training. Remembering those times only brought her more sorrow, and Zelda quickly tried to push the dream from her mind. The situation she was in now already had her balancing on the edge of despair, and recollection of such memories would be sure to tip her over. Knowing this, Zelda turned to the small wooden plate that sat on the tile floor and reluctantly drew out a piece of stale bread from within it. This was the main staple of her meals, but it was usually so old that the bread was rock solid and almost impossible to eat.

Sighing, Zelda placed the bread back and suppressed the sensation of hunger that had become far too familiar to her life. In the weeks and months that had past, she had become emaciated and weak, to the point where she could barely exert herself. She knew Ganondorf did this on purpose to keep her from causing trouble, but Zelda wasn't sure how long she could last with things as they were. He kept her alive, which meant he still had a use for her.

'He probably wants my Triforce…' Zelda thought silently. Which meant Link would be part of the equation as yielder of the third piece. The only conclusion she could draw was that she was being used as bait. If Ganon were to obtain the completed Triforce, what would he try to accomplish with such power? Zelda shuddered at the thought and tried not to think of such a scenario; she'd rather die than let such a thing happen. But she knew Link could be reckless and might do something stupid in an attempt to save her.

"I've got to warn him…" she murmured as she thought of Link, "promise me you won't come here."

Heavy footsteps approaching down the cement steps towards the end of the cell room alerted Zelda of a visitor, and her face instantly transformed into a scowl of displeasure. As expected, Ganondorf's shadowed face soon appeared in the torch light above her cell. He seemed amused by the poisonous glare her expression shot at him.

"Good evening Princess," he drawled, observing her with a bemused smirk. "Bitter as ever, I see. While I expect it, I wish you would try to look at least a _little_ happy to see me. I'm the only one in this entire castle who comes to visit you, I was hoping you might warm up a little."

"I'd rather drink a cup of poison than have to look at your ugly face every day," Zelda snapped, the words saturated in hatred. Ganondorf pretended to look hurt.

"That was a rather snide remark, _Princess_. For a lady of royalty, you sure have a short fuse." Zelda returned this remark with a scowl, to which Ganondorf chuckled while turning to face away slightly. "Hate me all you want, it won't change anything. Besides, I came here today to thank you."

"Thank me?" Zelda asked, turning confused.

"Yes," he turned back, looking delighted that she'd taken his bait. "You see, it's all because of you that I was able to overthrow Hyrule. Every ounce of power I have now I owe to you."

"What are you talking about?!"

"This." Ganondorf drew out a sturdy object from a back pouch hoistened to his belt and held out the object for Zelda to examine. Her eyes grew wide with shock and confusion before she looked up at him with horror.

"_You_ stole it?" she asked, her voice now faint. Ganondorf cracked open the cover of an ancient book and smiled bemusedly while pretending to read its contents. The Book of Mudora. The one she thought she'd lost and searched so hard for. It had been with him all along…

"You can hardly call it stealing considering you left it right out in the open for anyone to take," he said carefully, making sure to speak the words slowly so that they could sink in. "For someone who bears the Triforce of Wisdom, you're not very smart."

Zelda looked as if she'd been slammed headfirst into a wall.

"Initially I only aimed to gain political power through your father. But then I learned of the existence of a greater power, the Triforce. And it's all thanks to you and your wonderful little book." Ganondorf looked down on the devastated girl with a look of genuine pity. "You've let your kingdom down, Zelda. No amount of repentance on your part could ever make up for such a costly error."

"Why are you doing this?" the princess asked from somewhere beneath the veil of hair that hung in her face. Her voice was frail and panicked as guilt and shame seeped into her mind. "What do you have to gain aside from power? Is your greed really so great that you'd try to gain the entire world?!"

"It is my destiny to have power," Ganondorf answered simply as he lifted his right hand, emblazoned with the golden image of the Triforce. "I will surpass the efforts of all my ancestors, and finally lay claim to the power rightfully designated for the Gerudo King." There was a new seriousness to his voice now, nothing like the mocking tone he usually used. Zelda clamoured to her feet and moved to the iron bars to face him at eye level.

"You'll never get the Triforce! None of your past generations have ever succeeded…_you - will – fail_." She accented each word with as much force and resentment as she could, holding on to the only ounces of nerve that she had left. "Link will come. He'll defeat you, just like other heroes have in the past. And you can do _nothing_ to stop him."

Ganondorf looked amused at her threats. He returned the book to its pouch and turned to leave after throwing her a menacing glance over his shoulder.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Your father tried to oppose me once. Link will meet the same end as the king if he dares to stand against me." Without another word he departed into the dark chamber, leaving the traumatized girl alone in the cold expanse. Zelda clung to the iron bars for a few moments as the encounter registered, before her resolve broke down. Trembling, she brought her hands to her mouth; sobs began to rise in her throat and she fell to her knees as shaking racked her body. She sunk against the stone wall, cradled in her own arms, and let her cries of despair quietly echo into the darkness. With shaky breaths she looked up towards the ceiling, imagining the blue sky that might exist somewhere beyond the confines of her prison, and wondered if her hero was safe.

"Link…I want to see you…"

* * *

Link tossed and turned underneath his covers, racing thoughts and wicked nightmares depriving his mind of any form of rest. He'd searched endlessly for months, only to return unsuccessful. He now inhabited Kokiri Forest and was being cared for by Saria and the other Kokiri. Saria insisted that he rest, but there was very little that sleep could do for him. Link wondered why things had gone so wrong. What had happened to the carefree days of their childhood, when nothing mattered and life was free of burdens? No matter what he did now, Link always had a weight of some sort dragging him down. Lost in despair, his mind fell deeper into the darkness of a world without hope.

A storm thundered off in the distance. It wouldn't hit, but Link almost wished it would so that he might find some rest in the soothing rain. There's something refreshing about rain. In its ability to nourish. Or perhaps in how it washes away dirt. Either way, Link would not be given the opportunity to be cleansed. And so he fell further into sorrow.

'_Those who wield the Triforce have a painful destiny…'_ her words echoed somewhere deep in his memory. _'Our battle never ends…we must fight…'_

"I can't fight anymore, Zelda…" he whispered mournfully into his pillow. "I've fought for so long…and to what avail?! The king is dead, I've no way to know whether you're still alive, and Hyrule is…!"

Link cursed and violently pounded the pillow; Ganondorf's smirking face seemed to be seared to the back of his eyelids, jeering every time he closed his eyes. Every second of consciousness was torment. Guilt and despair ripped at him from every angle so that he was unable to escape.

"One who bears Courage, huh?" he scoffed in sarcastic amusement. He felt the sudden urge to laugh at his predicament, and the cruel irony of it all. Some hero he turned out to be. The princess he'd been charged to protect, his best friend since childhood and the love of his life, was gone, the kingdom was overrun by dark creatures intent on plaguing the land, and the stronghold of Hyrule Castle had fallen, leaving the people to the cruel subjugation of Ganondorf. Destiny really screwed up by choosing him. Link cringed and withdrew his arms and legs so that he formed a tiny ball. Flashbacks of happier times raced across his eyelids and intermingled with scenes of ruin and destruction. Link clutched his throbbing temples as the images began to race faster, swirling and spinning until he could no longer distinguish one from the other. The blurs became one giant sea of grey, and Link found himself to be suspended in the ocean of fog.

"_Link_."

"…"

"_Link!_"

"Who's calling me…?" Link answered groggily, wanting only to drown in his misery. He tried to close his eyes, but a nagging sensation refused to let him remain idle. Reluctantly Link looked around the strange surroundings, not really sure where he was. "Who's there?" he called again. Another figure suddenly appeared in the gloom, walking out from a cloud of grey to meet him. Link was shocked by the sight of someone who looked remarkably like him, clearly Hylian and clad in green.

"I've been trying to reach you for a very long time," the young man spoke. He had the same unruly blonde hair and vivid blue eyes. And slung across his back was the same blade which Link carried in his own sheath.

"Who…Who are you?"

"I am the Hero of Time," the other Link answered calmly, seemingly unbothered by their similarities. "I am a past version of you, Link."

"Wait, the Hero of Time? How can you exist now?? You…You're dead! What's going on?!" Link looked around the bleak expanse frantically in search of an exist. When he found none, he instead grabbed his head and shook it a few times. "I'm hallucinating, this can't be real!"

"These are my memories," he spoke and motioned with his hands at the swirling grey matter around them. "They are passed on to every new wielder of the Triforce, but you have not tried to awaken your true power. Because of this I've been shut off from you. You wouldn't answer me, and so I was forced to awaken your memories. I can help you, Link."

"H-How?" Link asked, uncertain. He jumped when the clouded smoke began to spin and was suddenly tainted with bright colour. Blurred images began to surface in them and became progressively clearer until they formed crystal pictures. He watched the faces of the Gerudo King, the Princess of Destiny, and the Hero of Time shift back and forth through various forms. It was as if he were a spectator watching a scene unfold before him. He watched Hyrule fall. He watched the princess undergo an excruciating procedure at the hands of Ganondorf after being kidnapped. He watched the Hero rise up to face him in battle. And he watched as Hyrule was taken back and restored back to its former glory. Link realized that these memories were excerpts from the previous happenings in Hyrule's history.

"Zelda is in danger."

Link looked up at his mirror image as if he'd been woken from a daze. The other man approached slowly with a steely expression and his jaw set.

"I can teach you how to defeat Ganondorf, but there is no time to waste. She's getting weaker every day. Hopefully her past incarnation has connected with her as well. There's still a chance that Hyrule can be saved."

"I'll do it!" Link burst suddenly. He clenched his hands with newfound determination at the prospect of finally finding her. "Tell me what I need to do! Anything it takes, I'll do it!"

"Listen carefully then," the other man answered, appearing pleased. "Ganondorf is a fierce enemy, but you have the power needed to defeat him. We won't have long to talk before you regain consciousness."

* * *

Back at Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf was busy delegating tasks necessary for reconstructing the castle to suit his preferences. Shortly after kidnapping Zelda, he had returned here due to its functionality as a vantage point over the kingdom. Hyrule Castle was far from its former glory, however. The outside, once regal and grand in appearance, was now in shambles and virtually unrecognizable. Cobblestone pathways previously filled by the townspeople were now overrun by swarms of wild beasts serving under Ganondorf. The castle inside was unkempt, no longer having the same sense of grandeur it held under King Daedalus.

Ganondorf rose heavily from the throne after his servants departed and made his way down into a lower chamber within the castle. Upon arrival, one could see what looked like a cylindrical stone tablet elevated in the center of the room upon a rock foundation. Workers were carefully chipping edges of the stone in order to form a smooth perimeter.

"When will you be finished?" Ganondorf asked one of the workers irritably. The impish creature squeaked once before looking up into the man's face with wide eyes.

"S-Should be done by tomorrow night, Sire! It'll be t-the finest alter in all of H-Hyrule!"

Ganondorf simply grunted in response, then quickly turned to leave before his bad temper got the better of him. The other creatures all relaxed visibly, while the one who had been addressed collapsed against the tablet with gratitude. Their master was increasingly foul-tempered these days, and just yesterday one of their comrades had been strangled to death for chipping just a slight bit too far into the stone. They all knew that even the slightest mistake could cost them their lives.

Back at Zelda's cell, her daily evening meal was being delivered in its customary manner. Ony this time a juicy chunk of meat was arranged on a platter amidst a circlet of fruits instead of her typical piece of stale bread. Zelda threw an inquisitive glance at the food as it was placed in her cell before drawing her eyes up to the servant.

"Is this Ganondorf's idea of a joke?" she said. "It'd be just like him to taunt me with such an attractive meal, only to have it poisoned."

Without speaking, the servant retrieved a fork from within her pocket and plucked a piece of meat from the platter before popping it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and opened her mouth for Zelda to examine after swallowing, then placed the utensil back on the plate and left without a word. Zelda sat in a confused state after her departure, wondering what kind of event would warrant such behaviour after being given only the bare minimum for months. She was intending to leave the plate untouched to spite his extraneous effort, but the aroma was too much and eventually she succumbed to the tasty meal.

"_Zelda!_"

"Eh?" she looked around for the voice that had called to her, wondering if perhaps the servant woman had returned. When no apparent answer met her eyes, Zelda put down her fork and stood up to peer down the black corridor. "Hello?"

"_Zelda! You can hear me clearly?"_

"Yes, but I can't see you! Who's there?" Her mind switched from curious to serious, debating the possibility of a trap. Could this person be trusted?

"_We've met before, Zelda. You had a vision through my eyes once many nights ago, about another Hyrulian princess much like yourself. You watched as her Triforce was ripped mercilessly away from her…Do you remember?"_

"Y-Yes…! I-I'm your descendent, right? Did you send me that vision?"

"I was trying to warn you…" the voice replied, sounding sad. "I was hoping to alert you of Ganondorf's true intentions, and what could happen if he captured you. It seems that he still managed to succeed anyway…"

"What can I do?" Zelda asked while trying to suppress the panic in her voice. Flashbacks of the extraction procedure flooded back in overwhelming waves. Her head spun and the familiar pain crept back into her hand from the recollections. If Ganondorf was preparing to extract her Triforce before Link arrived, then…"Am I going to die…?" she asked, not bothering to hide her fear.

"Zelda." The other voice was stern and suddenly strict. "Wielders of the Triforce of Wisdom are blessed with the gift of telepathy, which means you have the ability to make contact with the minds of others. What you must do now is connect with Link. He will find you, so do not fear for your life. Time is short, however, so don't dawdle."

"How do I find him?" a numb voice responded.

"He's searching for you at this very moment. Focus your thoughts on him, and I'm sure he'll meet you halfway. Believe in him, and yourself. Your connection won't last long due to your weak condition, so make the time you have to communicate valuable."

"Right." Zelda closed her eyes and began to concentrate, feeling as her mind searched for anything that reminded her strongly of Link. She thought of their memories. Running through the fields together as children. Dancing on her balcony in the moonlight. Pulling pranks on her tutors to get out of lessons for a day. Being comforted in his arms whenever she was fearful. And the overwhelming blueness of his eyes that sprung out from behind their curtain of yellow bangs. His boyish smile that melted her heart. The image of Link became overwhelming in her mind, and Zelda suddenly felt a rushing sensation as if she were speeding towards the projected memory. She mentally reached out, the feeling becoming ever more overwhelming. All of a sudden he was there.

A laugh of joy and disbelief escaped her throat.

"Link!"

* * *

­­Link was situated on his back across the simple bed of the room which he inhabited. He'd spent the entire day learning of how to defeat Ganondorf and was mentally exhausted, not to mention all the physical exertion he'd gone through over the past four months. He snoozed lightly whenever the need for sleep became overwhelming, but his anxiety to get to Zelda safely and quickly kept his fidgeting mind alert for most of the time. As he dozed again, Link felt a prickling sensation somewhere around his temple and tried to squint it off without being roused from sleep completely. When the feeling persisted, he blinked drowsily and rubbed the temple with a low groan. Then it disappeared, as fast as it had come, and Link felt a click. Perplexed, he sat up straight and gazed around. Why had he suddenly thought Zelda was with him?

"Pull it together," Link sighed into the hand resting over his face. It was probably about time his mind snapped from the stress, but it didn't have to taunt him like this. It was then that the tingling sensation returned in his temple and he was overwhelmed by her presence once again.

"_Link_!"

"Zelda?" he ventured hesitantly.

"_Listen, I don't have much time! I'm not hurt, but you have to promise me something!! Link, stay away from he_-"

Her voice suddenly vanished, cut off by some unseen force. Panic sprung up in Link's chest as he frantically searched for her presence in his thoughts. She had just been there, he was sure of it!

"Zelda?" he called out again. "Zelda!! Answer me, _please_! Zel!!!" In a useless effort, Link ran to different areas of the room as if he might somehow reach her better. Frantic,

his head spun from one direction to the next. His head throbbed suddenly and he fell to his knees in pain. Touching his fingertips to his left temple, Link hunched over and tried to fight off the searing sting. Slowly it ebbed away, leaving the foggy-headed hero comatose on the floor…

* * *

Argh. This chapter really tried my patience. I don't really like it much, but I'm hoping to get some better ideas soon. Also, sorry for disappearing for a while. I went on vacation for two weeks and had no Internets. The horror! D:

More tidbits:

-unlike Link and Zelda, Ganondorf refuses to have contact with his past incarnations because he views them as failures who were inherently weak and unable to fulfill their duty

Thanks for reading! :D


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

A/N: I'd like to send thanks out again to readers and reviewers for continuing with the story through 11 chapters! You guys are awesome and inspire me to keep writing! =D At this point I'm sensing that the story is starting to draw towards its end and will likely only have a few more chapters before its completion. With this in mind, I will take great effort to keep the story enjoyable and hope that you will be satisfied with its end. =)

Disclaimer: There is a reason I write fanfiction. It is because I don't own the Legend of Zelda and this is as close as I'll ever get.

* * *

Link was vaguely aware of the hours that passed as he lay in a suspended state; he recognized the familiar sensation of being trapped within the clouded abyss of his past incarnation's memories, but couldn't seem to recall why he was there. He tried to push through his foggy mind to work back towards his last moment of consciousness before collapsing, when he heard a voice calling out to him.

"_Link!_"

A wearisome groan rose in his throat; it was not the voice he'd been wanting to hear. Tightness seized Link's heart as his thoughts turned to Zelda and their brief connection what had felt like just moments earlier. Where had she gone?

"Zelda," Link breathed while forcefully pushing his tired body up off the floor. The apparition of the Hero of Time materialized within seconds to meet him midway in the expanse. Link seemed very disoriented, constantly struggling to remain standing. "I heard her!" he blurted as his senses became more alert. "I know that was her voice, it was like she was talking to me through my thoughts…! Sh-She was right there!!"

"_It's possible that her telepathic powers have awakened,_" the other voice answered. "_The past Zelda and I used to communicate in the same way_."

After weeks of agonizing despair, this ray of hope caused a brilliant smile to light up Link's face. Zelda was alive! Hearing her voice had completely restored his resolve to fight; if he defeated Ganondorf, he'd get to see her again. Link could hardly wait to scoop her up into his arms once more.

"How do I reconnect with her?" Link asked so quickly that the words blurred together. "She was trying to tell me something, but it's like she got cut off…" As he recalled her words, a terrible thought occurred to Link. What if someone had caught her trying to communicate with him? A horrible knot formed in his stomach at the thought.

"_Link,_" the other Hylian spoke urgently, cutting through his frantic thoughts. "_Time is short. Ganonorf will not waste any time in trying to obtain the Triforce. For Zelda's sake, you should hurry. Were you able to locate her from your connection?_"

"She's at Hyrule Castle," Link stated, rather bluntly. He wasn't sure how he'd arrived at that answer, but was convinced that his conclusion was correct. After a pause, he added, "She's…she's suffering…"

"_You've figured out a plan_?"

"Yeah."

"_I'll leave it to you, then._" The white fog began to clear away from Link's surroundings and the image of the Hero faded until only his words were left to echo in the swirling smoke. "_The fate of Hyrule rests in your hands…_"

The young soldier awoke from his place on the floor with a start. It took him a minute to realize that he was back in Kokiri Forest, in the place where he had collapsed after connecting with Zelda. The Hylian man rose to his feet and immediately reached for the Master Sword which rested against the rail of his bed. With deliberate purpose he strapped the sheath across his back with a determined look on his face. He followed with his arm guards and boots, followed by his trademark hat, and a Hylian shield. Fully clad now, the warrior exited his small abode and made way for where Epona was strapped loosely to a wooden fence, delicately chewing at grass. As Link began to gallop off, he spared a quick glance at the left hand clenched tightly about the reigns, where the Triforce emblem was hidden by his glove.

"_Courage is not the absence of fear,_" Zelda's voice spoke somewhere deep within the confines of his memory. "_But rather the overcoming of it. It's not something one is born with. Those with the potential for courage make the decision to act in spite of their fears._"

When had she said that to him?

"_You have potential, Link_," she finished with a smile.

"Thank you, Zelda," he whispered to himself. Her words were strangely comforting and set a calm about him that should not have been present considering what he was about to do. Ganondorf would not be an easy enemy to face. Link knew this all too well. But he wouldn't let that stop him from trying. His mind fully set, Link lowered himself flatter against Epona's back as the mare picked up speed, sending his bangs ruffling fiercely in the wind. His path was set; he would not turn back.

* * *

Zelda was being guided in a rather unaccommodating manner down a stone hallway by one of the dungeon servants. It was the same female who fed her the luxurious meal the previous night that now pushed her hastily into a darkened room with a low grunt. She followed after the princess and yanked the door shut, leaving Zelda to wonder what sort of treatment was in store for her. Instead of acting, however, the servant simply pointed towards a wooden chair seated in front of a giant wall mirror that had become dull with dust and age. Draped across its top was a beautiful gown, freshly cleaned and obviously laid out with the purpose of being worn. Zelda's eyes narrowed and her lips became tight as she eyes it, knowing full well she was expected to change into the dress. Her own clothes had become tattered and worn after months of constant usage, but no one had bothered to give her a replacement set until now. That paired with the odd dinner choice last night caused alarm bells to ring in her head.

"What is this?" Zelda asked, mustering the coldest stare possible. The servant was about to answer the obvious reply, but a warning glare from Zelda caused her to close her mouth the rethink the answer before speaking again.

"Lord Ganondorf demands it," she answered simply, choosing the safest route by avoiding the question. "You are to change immediately if you want to avoid making trouble for yourself. It's best not to test his patience, so I suggest you hurry."

She left without another word, leaving Zelda to stand alone in the middle of the room. Her eyes searched for a possible escape route, but judging from the lack of windows and the thick stone wall, she was still underground in the basement. Zelda's heart fell at this; though she was aware of many secret corridors and passages within the castle, the basement had been specifically designed to keep prisoners in. Her chances of escape were next to zero.

With a defeated slump, Zelda turned toward the chair and toyed with the fabric of the dress between her fingers. It was a very pretty gown. She noted the pale blues and shimmering whites with slight yearning, debating whether she should wear it or not. She didn't want to give Ganondorf the satisfaction of manipulating her, but she was also desperate to get out of her dirtied clothes. Zelda bit her lip as her mind reeled with confliction. An abrupt rap on the door jarred her senses, however, and she finally put the dress on. She was surprised to find that it fit incredibly well and took a moment to admire it in the mirror. It was then that she noticed the frail, downtrodden girl staring back at her in the mirror. Her face was shallow and dark shadows hung beneath her eyes. There was barely any substance to her arms and legs, and despite best efforts, her hair had become quite entangled. Hanging around her reflection's neck was a tiny silver locket that Link had given to her on her birthday when they were children. Though it was incomplete and brief, she hoped her warning from before would be enough to deter him. A hand reached out to touch the reflection, but before her fingers could meet the glass, the door burst open on its hingers. Zelda whirled around, expecting the servant woman, but gasped when a bulky, troll-like creature stormed in and snatched her by the arm. Her cry of pain did not stir any sympathy in the creature as it dragged her deeper down the hall without any hint of effort.

"Let go!" A clenched fist struck out against the thug's arm, to which it only grunted and shoved her forward more forcefully. Zelda shot out with her foot next, hoping that it would make contact with enough force to temporarily stun her enemy. The tactic backfired, however, when the troll easily blocked and immediately swung an arm out to knock her down. She hit the ground hard, completely winding herself so that she was unable to stand. Soft shuffling could be heard, suddenly alerting her of a foreign presence.

"Well, well," an amused voice spoke out. Ganondorf's leering face suddenly came into her field of vision as he stared down at her from above. "I'm surprised to find you so feisty, princess, I thought you'd be half-dead by now."

Zelda responded by hurling a glob of spit at his shoes. His reaction was exactly what she'd hoped for. Ganondorf jumped back with disgust and scowled at the accumulated glob on his foot, then hastily shook it off before driving his boot into her side. Zelda cried out again and rolled to the side while clutching the impacted area, but before the pain subsided she was already being hauled up by the scruff of her dress.

"Don't toy with me," the Gerudo man seethed. His face was only inches away from hers now and a murderous intent could be seen dancing in his eyes. Zelda felt like she was going to be sick, but couldn't look away under his fierce glare. "Just for that, I'm going to make special alterations in my plans to return the favour."

Ganondorf spun around, and with surprising strength yanked Zelda along behind him. He pulled her into a circular room at the end of the corridor that resembled something like a laboratory. Upon arrival he hastily shoved the girl down against a stone slab centered in the room and motioned for his servant to come forward. The troll lifted up what looked like rope and began to secure it about Zelda so that she was fastened to the tablet. The princess' head pounded fiercely as she tried to make sense of what was going on or to gain sense of her surroundings. Even though the room seemed familiar, the poor clarity of her mind prevented her to place it. Ganondorf was busy bustling about at a nearby table, and Zelda could only hear clinking glass and scraping wood. In only seconds, the servant had finished and stepped back to allow Ganondorf to approach the bounded girl. Zelda looked with confused speculation at the semi-circular bowl he balanced in his hand.

When he took hold of her right hand and violently ripped off her white glove, it all became clear.

Her Triforce. He was going to extract the Triforce of Wisdom, just like the when she'd dreamed it. Overwhelming fear seized her body, immobilizing her. It was happening so fast that she couldn't really make sense of it.

'_Can I fight it?_' she wondered as her hand was dipped into the dark liquid. The golden image of the triforce emblazoned itself against her pale skin. The period of stillness that followed gave her hope. But then a searing pain so fierce ripped through her entire body that the only thing she could concentrate on was the consuming agony. Zelda was completely immobilized as the golden symbol dimmed and drained into a deep black. Ganondorf seemed pleased at this transition. He maintained his stronghold on Zelda's wrist to allow the Triforce to be absorbed into his own body once it began to move from Zelda's. '_I don't want to die like this,_' Zelda thought as tears escaped from beneath her clenched eyelids. Her face contorted into a grimace of pain as the ripping sensation amplified. She knew her will was faltering, and fast. She tried to pull herself up from the stone tablet to create some stress on her binds, but the pain only doubled. She collapsed a second later and cried out in shocked agony, earning a cruel chuckle from Ganondorf.

"Like a fish yanking at a hook," his gruff voice spoke as he watched her jerk about. "You're only entangling yourself further by resisting." He waited until her breath was jagged and she lay still from exhaustion before he attempted to further anchor their connection; even in her state, she was still resisting quite stubbornly.

'_Link,_' she called out mentally, using every ounce of will she had to concentrate on his image in her mind. It was just enough to keep her from surrendering her will. She could feel a snaking sensation creeping up her right arm and the overpowering squeeze Ganondorf had on her wrist. Her Triforce had already turned black. There wasn't much time. "Link…!" she called again, out loud this time. A bemused snort could be heard somewhere above her, but Zelda ignored it. A crushing sensation began to weigh down on her chest a short moment later, making it hard for her to breathe. '_Please answer me! I need you!!_'

The pain suddenly become so excruciating that Zelda's vision turned white and severe stinging seared throughout her. If felt like every cell in her body was on fire. She had no surroundings anymore, only this all-encompassing agony that threatened to tear her apart. The only thing that made it worse was knowing she could do absolutely nothing about it. Scream after unbearable scream echoed uselessly off the wall in the tiny room; the princess yanked at the rope in a desperate effort to get free while hot tears trailed down her cheeks. The sensations she felt were a thousand times worse then the ones she'd experienced in the dream. What was more terrifying was that it was actually happening to her this time. Link's words to her from that night echoed back in cruel clarity.

'_I won't let him anywhere near you! I swear that I'll protect you!_'

'_Help me, Link!_'

Her mind was going numb. She was never going to see him again. She never even got to tell him…

'_I'm coming Zelda!_'

The voice caused her heart to skip a beat. He was close.

* * *

Link was racing up through the grand hallway of the castle, blindly slashing at any creature that dared attempt to halt his progress. The excursion barely bothered him thanks to continuous endurance training throughout the years. The blade felt natural in his hand and allowed his swings to flow smoothly and accurately, delivering a deadly blow to any opponents. He didn't worry about which way to go, for it seemed an invisible force was guiding him in the direction he needed to follow. As he descended a long flight of stairs into the stale air of the basement, a buzzing sensation suddenly flooded his ears. Link stopped short and suddenly collapsed to his knees while gripping his head as the feeling turned from distracting to agonizing. The sword fell with a clang down the cement steps before cascading to the floor; a short yelp of pain escaped Link's throat as he tried to fight back the mind-numbing pain. It was then that he heard a voice, almost unrecognizable in its pained contortion.

'_Answer me Link!! PLEASE!!!_'

"Z-Zelda!!" he gasped, opening one eye while trying to decipher what was happening. His hands still had an iron grip over his ears, but he couldn't escape the excruciating pain. He hissed when the stinging increased then heard a piercing scream echo in his mind. "Zel?? What's happening? I-I can't move, are you hurt?!"

'_Where are you?_' a weak voice barely whispered through a pained cry. It sounded as if she had not heard him. '_Please…_'

Link managed to stand, his legs threatening to buckle again at any moment, and stumbled down the stairs.

'_I can't hold this connection,_' he thought urgently as he reached his left hand down towards the fallen blade. His mind felt like it was going to burst.

'_Help me, Link!_'

"I'm coming Zelda!" he shouted, not sure if he had spoken aloud or not. Barely able to concentrate, he pushed his back against a wall to support him and slowly dragged along the uneven rock in order to move forward. He was sweating profusely after only seconds of exertion. The panicked tone in her words terrified him; what was happening to her?! He knew he had to hurry, but could barely move a few inches without having to stop and gasp for breath. "Zelda," he began, trying to keep his tone even so she wouldn't detect the fear in his own voice. "I have to break out connection if I want to continue. I'm sorry – I just can't keep up under these circumstances. Don't give up, I'm almost there! I'm coming, ok? Just hold on!!"

'_Link…_'

Her voice was dangerously quiet.

'_I…I can't…fight him off…_'

"Zelda!"

'…_Hur…ry…_'

"ZELDA!!"

The pain suddenly vanished. Their connection had snapped.

* * *

A black poison had moved from her arm and now circulated through Zelda's entire body. Completely exhausted with no will nor strength left to fight, Zelda succumbed to the Triforce of Power. She now lay completely still on the marble, the trails of tears that covered her cheeks now dry. She stared at the ceiling through dazed, unfocused eyes. At last she was free of the pain. But now, as her Triforce was draining away, she felt an all-encompassing numbness. Her breathing got lighter. Her mind was foggy. Life felt like it was at a standstill as her vision began to blur.

'…_Is this…what it's like to die…?_'

The princess reflected over her life. There were so many things she still wanted to do. She never imagined this was how her life would go. Or how it would end.

"That's it," Ganondorf cooed as he sensed her giving up. The extraction was almost complete, and soon he would have two-thirds of the completed Triforce. Completely captivated with his task, he was shocked when the chamber door suddenly buckled upon an external impact. Its lock held, but a second blow sent the wooden doors swinging upon their hinges. A green-clad warrior dashed through the doorway and glanced around quickly before laying eyes upon Zelda, the alter, and Ganondorf. The vivid blue eyes turned from anxious to furious in a split second and with a fearsome cry Link lifted his sword and charged towards the man. Ganondorf could not react before the honed sword made crisp contact with the armoured plate across his chest, sending him stumbling back into the crowded table against the back wall. A loud crash followed as glass shattered and books fell atop the man as the table broke beneath him. Link immediately went to Zelda's side and lifted her torso into his strong arms.

"Zel! Zel, I'm here!" he said urgently to the seemingly unconscious girl. Her eyes fluttered slightly before landing on him. They threatened to close every few seconds or so. His stomach knotted horribly as he noted her weakened state. Was he too late?

"Link…" she murmured, lifting a hand out to his; he took hold of it instantly. Somewhere behind them, clamouring could be heard from the messy heap on the floor. A warm feeling seemed to pass from her fingers into his, but Link could not pry his eyes away from her pale face. She didn't even have the strength to lift her head up. "You have to get…out of here."

"Don't speak, Zel," he answered in a distressed voice.

"I told you…not to come…I shouldn't…have asked you to…"

"I would have come anyway! You know that Zel – I…I couldn't just leave you here! Hold on, ok, I'm going to get you some help." A sudden crash caused Link to look up. Ganondorf was standing now, shaking in an infuriated rage.

"_YOU – BASTARD!!!_" he seethed, eyes wide and eyebrows knit. "_I will NOT have a little bug like you interfere with my plans!!!_"

"Link," an urgent whisper rose up from the fading princess. "I'm going to teleport us out of here…After that, I want you to run..."

"What?!" Link looked down at her like she was crazy. She could never pull something like that off, especially for two people. "You're in no condition t-" Before he could finish speaking, Zelda spoke a quiet incantation beneath her breath and their surroundings began to fade. Ganondorf's infuriated scream could be heard echoing around them as a white vortex sucked them away from the chamber. An instant later, they were outside of the castle, beneath a tree in Hyrule's nearby field. Epona wandered among the grass a short distance away and pricked up her ears to glance over upon their arrival.

Link's heart was still racing as the surroundings registered. They were still alive. Ganondorf was nowhere in sight. Slightly relieved, Link turned to the girl wrapped in his arms while Epona wandered up behind him. He hadn't planned on Ganondorf going through with the extraction procedure and had to postpone their fight in order to get Zelda to safety. Priority right now was getting her strength to return. With this in mind, Link shifted the princess so that she was semi-upright in his arms and gently called out to her.

"Zelda…" He waited for her eyes to flicker open like they had in the chamber. A moment of silence followed. Link raised a confused eyebrow when she didn't answer and her eyes didn't open. "Zelda…?" he tried again. Slight panic tinged his voice. She wasn't responsive. Link moved closer to examine her face and brushed stray hair from her cheek as he waited for an indication that she'd heard him. When nothing came, Link shook her arms gently. "Zel! Hey, come on!! _Zelda!!_"

The princess' head fell limply to the side, and Link felt his blood run cold. He laid her down flat and tilted her head back before turning so that his ear hovered above her mouth. With horror he realized that she was barely breathing. A quick check on her vitals revealed that Zelda's life was beginning to slip away.

"Oh no, no no," Link said aloud as he began to pick the princess up in his arms. Epona seemed to read the panic in his voice and instantly came over so that he could hoist the princess up onto the mare's back. Link followed just seconds later and wrapped his arms around her to grab hold of the reigns, making sure the girl was tightly wedged against his chest so that she would not fall. He flicked the reigns, sending Epona into an instant sprint toward Kokiri Forest while quietly pleading with her to hold on. "Don't die on me Zel," he spoke sternly. "Please don't leave me, not now…You've got to live!"

The hero raced onwards as quickly as he could, knowing each second that passed without treatment meant a further deduction from the extent of Zelda's life.

* * *

Oh-HOOO, I'm a meanie! This chapter wasn't supposed to be a cliff-hanger, but ended up becoming one…I'm sorry! Cliff-hangering is a guilty pleasure of mine! (is "cliff-hangering" a word??) I'm very excited to write the next chapter, so it should hopefully follow soon. If university doesn't start before then. Please don't eat me, I will try to hurry. *sweatdrops*

Something to ponder: During the extraction, Zelda thinks about how she never got to tell Link something. Just what may that have been…? Speculate away! XD


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter in honour of my grandfather who passed away recently; his unique way with words to create verbal masterpieces has eternally inspired me. And thanks again to all readers and reviewers! X3 Please don't kill me for taking so long this time through, a lot of hard stuff happened recently =( I hope this chapter makes up for it though.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. At all. Not even a smidget. But that's what fanfiction is for!

* * *

He could see the village just a short distance away now, rapidly getting closer as Epona charged onwards. How much time had passed? Link couldn't clearly remember from the thick fog clouding in his mind, but all that mattered was getting Zelda there. Would anyone even be able to help her? She still hadn't responded, but simply slouched to the left against Link's arm. They were at the outskirts of the forest now. Link's boots slammed into the ground before Epona had even come to a complete stop, and startled onlookers watched as the man dashed by them.

Not too far away, Saria was cleaning inside of her house, unaware of the commotion outside. She swept dust into a pile while humming to herself softly, an upbeat tune that Link often played on his ocarina when he needed to lift his spirits. Without realizing, she'd grown quite fond of the tune and had adopted it as her own. Her name suddenly being yelled startled the kokiri girl enough to drop her broom on the ground. Saria turned around in time to see a disoriented and frantic Link stumble in with an unconscious Zelda hanging in his arms. Her hands immediately flew to her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips, and Link's panicked eyes met hers.

"S-Saria…!" he gasped, barely forming coherent words. He staggered closer. "She needs a doctor – you've gotta help her!!!"

"Link, what happened?!"

"Hurry, please!!" His tone was pleading. Saria immediately dashed out of the house and raced through the village to find the doctor that had also taken shelter among the Kokiri. Saria was suddenly thankful that the village was small enough to locate people quickly, and was able to find the man without too much effort. By the time they got back, Link had set Zelda down atop Saria's bed and was calling out to her quietly. He looked up with urgent eyes as the two entered.

"You called for a doctor?" the man with Saria asked. He was fairly older than them, somewhere in his late thirties, with brown hair and kind grey eyes that gazed out from behind a pair of squared spectacles. Link stood up and let the man take his place at the chair alongside the bed, watching as he began to check over her vital signs.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Link blurted. The doctor didn't reply for a moment as he checked for her pulse and listened for a heartbeat. After a painfully long silence, he abruptly turned to face the other two, his expression now serious.

"I need you two to leave until I can stabilize her condition," he said in a set voice. Link's short-lived relief died along with those words. Saria's eyes widened in what looked like shock and worry, but after a moment she nodded and tugged at Link's sleeve while moving towards the exit.

"I can't leave her," Link said shortly.

"Link," Saria urged quietly, but he didn't budge.

"I understand your concern, but I have to insist," the doctor responded just as forcefully while herding them out. Before closing the door, his gaze softened and he spoke in a light tone, "I promise to take care of her. You can stay with her after I've gotten her condition under control, so please trust me."

Link hesitated to weigh the man's words. There was a heavy silence until Link finally nodded and let him return to the princess' side alone. Saria put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically and guided him to a nearby tree stump.

"Since we have to wait, can you tell me what happened…?" she asked quietly while sitting herself alongside him on the ground. Link sunk into his hands and released a long sigh while his mind tormented him with images of Zelda screaming under the clutches of Ganondorf's extraction. He'd only felt a fraction on her pain, and just those mere seconds had been agony. It killed him to imagine what she'd been through. Link gave himself enough time to regain composure before taking a shaky breath. He told Saria everything he could think of, often jumping from one thing to another as his mind tried to make sense of what had happened. She nodded as she listened, never interrupting but instead letting Link unload some of the burden by talking it out. After about an hour, the doctor finally emerged and motioned for Link to come in; the young hero obeyed without hesitation. Once inside, the doctor closed the door and cleared his throat quietly.

"Doctor…?"

"I need to analyze some data before I can make any conclusion," he started, then began to collect various things from a table into his bag. "You can sit with her while I'm gone, since leaving her alone right now is a bad idea. I think it will be fine, but you have to alert me _immediately_ if something changes." His eyes met Link's as he said this. Link just nodded in consent, then watched as the older man turned the knob on the door before glancing back over his shoulder. "I'll try not to be long," he said with a reassuring smile. A moment later, he was gone; the resulting silence was deafening.

Link slowly turned to look at the pale woman lying in the bed beside him. If he didn't know better, one might mistake her for someone sleeping. At first Link just sat frozen, unable to tear away from her closed eyes and still face. Finally, however, he lifted his left hand and hesitantly reached out.

"We've been together since we were children," he commented, absently stroking her cheek and brushing wisps of hair from her temple. "It seems like the time went so fast, but we've built up a lifetime together…every single good memory I have is with you…" Link could feel a lump in his throat as memories flooded his senses, creating a sharp tug in his chest. Watching her lie lifeless was unbearable. He'd never felt anything so painful in all his life. "So…please don't give up now, not after I finally found you again. I know you're trying, but please try just a little more."

Link dipped his head to rest on his hands, which were enfolded around Zelda's limp one. "I know it's selfish," he continued toward the floor, "when you've already been through so much, but you have to come out of this alive. I'm begging you!" His heart breaking, the warrior looked up toward the princess once more. Her characteristic expressive face was still, giving no indication that she'd heard him. Link took in a shaky breath, trying to keep his mind from plummeting into despair. "Zel…you're the only thing that kept me going…If I lose you, I…I'll lose my reason to live."

How long could he keep his heart from shattering completely?

"And what's worse…" he mused softly as it occurred to him, "…I never got up the courage to tell you how I feel. I should have realized it sooner than I did, that I've loved you for so long, but even after I knew I still didn't…" His voice hitched before he could finish. Link clutched at the fabric just above his heart while clenching his other trembling fist against his knee. The pain in his chest was making it difficult to breathe normally and he was clearly struggling to keep his composure. "It was stupid of me to think that waiting would be better!" a broken voice lamented suddenly, no longer caring about masking the pain in its tone. "I should have told you! I shouldn't have held back when I had the chance…and now I'm afraid they're words you may never get to hear…!" Hot tears spilled down his cheeks as his last bit of resolve melted away. Defeated, Link slumped forward against the side of the bed, clutching on to the cold hand nestled between his own and whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry Zelda…"

Several hours passed before the doctor finally returned to the heavy room. Link looked up tiredly with a mourned expression that indicated his defeated hope and didn't say a word. He'd spent the time waiting, mentally preparing himself for the doctor's words that would confirm his worst fears. Zelda would never wake up. Those beautiful crystal-blue eyes would remain closed forever, and the world would never again hear her laughter. Link knew what was coming, but there was no way he'd ever be fully ready to accept it.

The doctor sighed and sat down on a stool near the end of the bed and adjusted his glasses before silently reviewing notes on his clipboard. "You've had quite a rough go the past few days," he commented to the young man, who remained silent. "Your friend has informed me of the situation regarding this young lady, and the good news is that we've got her condition stabilized. However," he continued as Link perked up, "she hasn't regained consciousness since arriving here. Our biggest concern is maintaining her stable condition, but if she doesn't wake up soon, then…"

"So she's in a coma…?" Link's heart fell a little from its temporary lift. "People can wake up from those, right?"

"…Sometimes," the doctor replied hastily. "I want to be honest with you Link, she may or may not wake up…"

"Can…can she hear me if I talk to her?" he asked instead. The older man smiled a bit.

"I like to think so."

He stood up suddenly and straightened out his jacket before giving the young man an encouraging smile. "Try to keep your hopes up; this girl managed to survive in circumstances that should have killed her three times over. She's quite a special lady." Without another word, the doctor turned and quietly left, leaving Link alone in the room. He hesitantly turned back to the comatose girl, leaned down and gently pushed some hair away from her ear.

"I love you, you hear that?" he whispered.

At a quiet knock on the door, he straightened up and turned towards the entrance to see Saria peek in after a moment.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly, then entered after he nodded. She stood beside him at the bed, looking down at the fair girl before them. "The doctor told you…?"

"Yeah," Link answered shortly.

"He sounded hopeful…"

"I don't understand why she won't wake up…" Link managed to choke while quietly brushing a hand across her forehead. Her skin was cold.

"I didn't tell the doctor everything," Saria's voice said in a way that was clearly hesitant. "Historically, individuals who received pieces of the Triforce formed special bonds with them. In Zelda's case, her Triforce of Wisdom became extensively entwined with her life force…because Ganondorf took is away so suddenly, her spirit isn't strong enough to support her. Even though Zelda's fighting against it, she's…"

"…Zelda's…dying?"

Saria nodded sadly. "During the extraction procedure that you interrupted, I think she deliberately gave some of her power to you, Link."

His head shot up, revealing confused eyes filled with horror. "Why?? Why would she do that?!"

"To give you a better chance at defeating him. Ganondorf doesn't realize that she did it; he thinks he has all of her power." Link looked down at the unconscious princess and released a _tsk_ of disapproval.

"Dummy…you should have kept it for yourself."

"Ganondorf would have known if she did from their spiritual connection. Because there was no connection directly to you, he didn't sense it getting passed on. Under the circumstances, that was the best thing she could have done." Saria raised her eyes suddenly, a look of hope illuminating her face. "Link!! Maybe it's not too late to give it back to her! Give Zelda back the power she gave to you!"

"W-What?" he asked, looking up again. "Would that work?"

"It's worth a try!" she smiled, a look of determination now evident on her expression. "She'd be really weak and wouldn't have much magical power left, but it should be enough to make her conscious again!"

"I'll do it," he said, now serious. "Don't worry, Zel, I'll bring you back. I promise to help you this time. You will _live_."

The young man carefully propped the princess' body up on some pillows and took his hand in hers before closing his eyes to concentrate. Unlike back in Hyrule castle, it wouldn't be easy to make their connection, since Zelda wasn't meeting him halfway this time. It would be up to him to find her. Link didn't let this deter him; he'd search for as long as it took if it meant he'd get to see her conscious again.

'You just keep fighting it, Zel,' he silently pleaded through his thoughts, believing she'd be able to hear him. 'Leave this up to me. I promise you won't have to fight anymore after this. _Wait for me_.'

Link didn't even notice that Saria left the room. Finding the connection to Zelda would be like finding a pebble in a pit of sand; it required every bit of mental concentration he had. First he cleared his mind, pushing the extraction incident out of his head and avoided recounting the doctor's words. He searched for memories of the Zelda he remembered, a bright and cheerful girl with a heart-melting smile and bell-like laughter. A sliver of warmth surged through his heart at the recollection, filling him with a strange sense of hope. That Zelda was still alive somewhere, and he was determined to find her. Link then turned his thoughts to memories they both shared, hoping it would establish a stronger connection. There were so many of them that Link found it hard to concentrate on just one. Then he thought of the times he'd felt closest to her, dancing with her in his room at the castle or sitting on the balcony together under the veil of moonlight as they so often did. They'd been so close for so many years, and somehow had managed to leave everything unspoken. All the words they'd left unsaid were easily communicated with their time spent together, and now Link clung to those moments desperately, refusing to let his mind focus on anything else.

'Come on, Zelda,' he urged, doubling his concentration. It felt like he was wadding through waist-deep mud water, desperately pushing against a current that wanted to topple him over. He could feel his goal just out of reach but refused to give in to the incredibly force pushing him backwards. 'I'm right here,' he continued, reaching out mentally, pushing, searching for any trace of her. 'I know you're there! I want us to keep living, to be able to look back and remember all the wonderful times we had together. This can't be it for us Zelda, I won't accept that!!'

He felt a sudden flicker, an abnormal tremor in the previously still thoughtwaves. There was a brief rush of warmth, then his concentration instantly broke, and Link's eyes shot open. When he did, his vision was overwhelmed by the vivid blue irises of her eyes.

"Zelda…!" he breathed wordlessly, staring in shock at the beautiful women seated before him. This was real. It was really her. Before Zelda had time to move or speak, Link rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace in one fluid motion. "I'm so glad…I'm so glad!!!" he said over and over while he held her. A brief silence followed, until Zelda could feel something cool tickling her skin.

"What's this…?" she spoke, touching a hand to her face; moist droplets met her fingertips there as they glided down the curve of her cheek. She suddenly realized the tears were not her own. "Link…why are you crying?"

He hadn't let go, and was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to speak.

"I was so worried I'd lost you," he said finally. The warrior then drew back to look into her dace and smiled through his tears. "I'm so relieved!!" he laughed, moving to hold her head in his hands gently before taking her into his embrace once more. Zelda was stunned; in all his years as a soldier she'd never seen him cry. Currently he was so emotional that she couldn't tell if he was broken up or overjoyed, but simply remained within the comfort of his warm arms. To be honest, Zelda was in a drastically weakened state and probably couldn't have pulled away even if she wanted to. Link felt her sudden slump against his shoulder and pulled her back anxiously. Upon examination of her face, he saw drooping eyes and a tired smile.

"I'm alright," Zelda answered for him while trying to straighten up a little. "I just don't have much strength after being confined for so long, that's a-" The princess stopped as dizziness suddenly overtook her, causing the girl to sway slightly before cupping her temple in her palm. Link's arm immediately shot out to steady her before calling her name nervously. It was then that a sudden realization hit her like a brick. Withdrawing her right hand from her brow, Zelda slowly eased it outward until she could clearly see her shaking palm, then looked at Link horrified. "I…lost my Triforce, didn't I....?"

She spoke hesitantly, as if trying to understand a foreign concept. Her confused eyes met Link, whose own eyes clearly confirmed her suspicion. Zelda looked away then, lifting a delicate hand to hover over her mouth while trying to process this development. She felt empty without it. Exposed. Sickeningly vulnerable. Completely lost in her thoughts, the princess jumped suddenly at a slight touch to her left hand, then turned to look at the warm fingers covering hers before lifting her eyes to Link.

"You didn't lose all of it Zel," he said, trying to sound hopeful. "You got some of it back…"

"But how, I…" Zelda stared at her raised hand in confusion, then moved her gaze to Link, "I gave the rest of it to you…didn't I…?" The sickening thought occurred to her that Ganondorf may have taken the entirety of the Triforce, even despite her efforts. Zelda suddenly felt nauseous.

"You did," Link's said, "but were unconscious afterward, so I returned it to you just now." Zelda looked a little surprised but said nothing. "I brought you to Kokiri Forest after we escaped from the castle since I knew we'd be safe here. A doctor has also been staying in the village so you were able to get treatment. I should probably let him know you're-"

Before Link finished, there was a slight knock on the door that stopped him short. Before waiting for a reply, Saria popped in while looking inquisitive.

"Link, are you alright? I thought I heard a…"

Her eyes suddenly landed on Zelda, who looked just as surprised to see the Kokiri girl. Immediately she squeaked with alarm and rushed over to them as a smile flooded her face.

"Princess, you're alright!! I'm so glad to see you're awake, this is such a relief!!" Saria clasped her hands and leaned forward before turning concerned. "Are you feeling alright, is there anything I can get you?"

"This is Saria," Link chimed in. "She's the one who helped me out during the four months that you were missing." Zelda looked back at Saria and smile warmly.

"Thank you for everything," she spoke. "I cannot express my sincere gratitude to both of you…" Her expression suddenly became tired as the weight of all that had happened settled. Link, who didn't notice the change, was grinning from ear to ear, but the switch did not go unnoticed by Saria.

"You must have been through so much," she noted. Zelda tried to recover by pretending to perk up.

"I-I'm all right, really," she said with a half-hearted laugh. "My head is still trying to catch up with everything, that's all. It's really nothing to worry abo-"

Zelda suddenly lost balance after trying to straighten up and remove the covers. Link caught her as she staggered forward and gently eased her back so that she was lying down.

"You should take it easy," he murmured, moving to replace the sheets over her. Zelda looked apologetic but smiled gratefully.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she barely said above a whisper, immediately sending a blush over Link's cheeks. He scratched behind his head nervously, suddenly very aware of his blatant confession earlier.

"Hey, Zel," he began, absently scratching at his cheek as he tried not to appear flustered. "Um, do you by chance remember…hearing anything while you were unconscious?" He was having trouble meeting her eyes, letting his gaze veer off slightly due to his embarrassment. Did she know? The thought that she might suddenly horrified him, even after the whole ordeal.

"No," she commented innocently after thinking about it for a moment. Link breathed an inward sigh of relief and instantly relaxed. "Why do you ask?"

"Uhh, no reason."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," a small voice spoke. "But I think we should really give Zelda some time to relax, she's probably exhausted by now."

Link turned to look at Saria and nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Do you mind letting the doctor know she's awake now?" Saria sighed as he completely missed the point.

"Link, I think _we_ should let her rest," she insisted, hoping he'd catch on. There was a brief silence, then a gasp of disbelief.

"Wait, you want me to _leave_?! But…!" Saria shot a hand up, knowing full well Link was going to protest.

"_Yes,_ Link, the princess needs her _rest._" He was suddenly dragged up out of his chair, and with a forceful push Saria directed him to the door. Link looked back at Zelda over his shoulder, hoping for some reinforcement.

"I'll be fine, Link," was her only reply. "I promise I won't go anywhere. We can talk some more when I wake up." Her eyes were now drooping as she slouched into the pillow.

"There." Saria stated with a victorious smirk. Link sighed loudly and finally turned to leave the room. Like a reluctant puppy he shuffled out with drooped shoulders and a look of disappointed rejection on his face. As the door shut behind him, Saria met Zelda with a bemused smirk before moving over to the door herself. "If you need anything princess, we'll all be close by."

"Thank you," the Hylian women smiled gratefully, then paused. "And please, call me Zelda." Saria returned her comment with a warm smile.

"Alright Zelda," she said and slowly closed the door. "I hope you sleep well."

The door finally clicked shut and Zelda rolled to her side. All the commotion had kept her mind preoccupied, but now that she lay alone in silence Zelda knew that it would be next to impossible to get a moment of decent rest.

* * *

A special thank you to the patience of my readers for waiting so long without complaint, you guys rock. The Swan Princess soundtrack also served as my inspiration for writing this chapter, cause for some reason that movie always manages to get me choked up. I'm kinda not happy with the choppy and rushed feel to this chapter…I was originally gonna have one huge, long one but decided to split it into ch. 12 and ch. 13 for consistency's sake. Hopefully it still came out ok. Lots of more exciting things to come in the next chapter! :D


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Hi guys, I've made a comeback from my long, _looong_ hiatus. It's been quite some time, but I really do wish to see this story through to the end and hope that some of you also feel the same. Thanks so much for all your support and encouraging comments (and also for your patience!) =)

Disclaimer: Even in the months that have passed, I still do not own the Legend of Zelda. That would take the fun out of fanfiction!

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The week that followed Link and Zelda's arrival to Kokiri Forest stretched on in quiet uncertainty. The doctor's main concern now that Zelda was awake was that she get recovered. Though it seemed a simple task, the process proved arduous and lengthly. Zelda was only just beginning to take her first tentative steps from her recovery bed and rarely ventured farther than the small table situated a few meters away. Though curious, the villagers were not been permitted to see the princess until she was adequately able to stand on her own, a task that usually required a lot of effort on her part.

Link acted as her main support while she became acquainted with normal functioning again. Though he still trained daily, Link often cut the sessions short or spread them out to spend more time with her. Though the princess was growing physically stronger every day and put up a good front, it was easy for him to see the pain that still held on to her, an obscure mixture of grief and shame. One night he'd come in to do a routine check-up, only to discover the girl sobbing and crying out in her sleep. While the nightmares eventually became less frequent, they never stopped entirely and completely disrupted Zelda's emotionally-frail state whenever they occurred.

Finally the doctor asked that Zelda began to make trips outdoors, under Link or Saria's supervision, to begin building her strength up. This brightened Zelda's spirits a bit, for it was plain to see that the restless princess was sick of being cooped up. Link was not so ready to let her venture out the safe confines of Saria's home and kept a careful eye on her in case she exerted too much energy. He wasn't sure how safe it was for her to get so worked up after her near-death experience and was terrified of the prospect that it might happen again. Zelda understood his fear, but persistently told him that he was fretting needlessly and she was getting tired of it. And so, reluctantly, Link accompanied the debilitated princess on her first venture into the outside world after more than four months.

Stepping hesitantly across the door frame, Zelda emerged into the sun's bright rays with the support of Link's arm. It was marvellous to feel the sun on her skin, and for a moment she paused to soak up the feeling with closed eyes. After being imprisoned for so long, she'd forgotten what it felt like to be outside. _She'd missed it so_.

"Look," Link murmured after a moment, snapping Zelda back from her daze. She lowered her gaze back to eye level and was surprised to observe several onlookers gathering a short distance away, whispering inconspicuously among themselves. Several more Kokiri emerged from their homes or stopped whatever tasks they were doing to steal a curious glimpse at the princess, after weeks of wondering what sort of person had been kept in confinement. Zelda smiled warmly while regarding them, and slowly some began to draw closer, hesitant at first. The princess made a movement to step forward, but Link held her back suddenly while his expression turned fearful.

"It's alright, Link," she turned to meet his worried gaze with a steady one. "I won't exert myself more than I am able. I just want to meet my people…" Her words held an undertone of longing as she turned back to them, and Link let her slide with ease from his arm. He watched as the woman moved to meet them and crouched to her knees to be at this level, and many returned the gesture with a dutiful bow. As he reflected, Link realized this was the first time she'd ever had the chance to interact with anyone outside of Hyrule Castle without need of guise or secrecy, and was something she'd dreamed of for as long as he could remember. Despite insecurities about her health and physical strength, Link smiled warmly. This was probably the most alive she'd felt in ages. The doctor joined him a moment later and touched a hand to the warrior's shoulder.

"It is good to see her smile," he commented, to which Link nodded in agreement. "You must be relieved to see her recovering so well."

"Not entirely," Link added cautiously, beginning to worry again, even though he knew it wasn't like him. "I'm scared she might try to do too much too soon. I'm so distracted that something horrible is going to happen that I can't concentrate on anything else all. It's making it hard to be happy for her progress…" Link sighed inwardly. Zelda was now introducing herself to all of the childlike villagers, who observed her with awe and wonderment. Although she wasn't quite at a healthy state yet and still looked somewhat frail, Zelda was beautiful. They inward joy she felt at finally getting to meet her people and talk with them radiated throughout her, illuminating her face in a way that even the brillianted sun rays could not. Captivated, Link stared at her. He wanted nothing more than to swoop her up in his arms and never let go, to finally convey all the thoughts and feelings that he'd hidden away for so long, but at the same time dared not touch her for fear that she'd break.

'_That's not the kind of thing she's thinking of right now,_' Link scolded himself mentally. Considering all that had happened between her imprisonment, Ganondorf, the extraction, the King's death, and nearly her own, Zelda's thoughts were probably in a highly tangled state right now. He'd have to be content with being there to support her in whatever way he could, even if that meant shoving his own feelings away. The idea didn't appeal much to Link, but he'd force himself to make do.

Their excursions out into the Kokori town became a daily event, and soon Zelda was venturing out on her own without the aid of Link or Saria. The doctor was delighted with this progression and finally announced that the princess had fully recovered, and that all that was left was to continue building the remaining bits of her strength that lacked. Initially, Zelda was exhilarated and seemed to thrive on her renewed freedom. Every now and then, however, she would relapse into a state of withdrawal or depression, choosing instead to stay within the confines of her room. On one such day, Link decided to check up on her in an attempt to cheer the solemn girl up, only to discover that the princess was not in her bed. He checked through the village to see if she might be found with the villagers, which proved to be an empty search. Link's initial worry turned to full-blown panic. Trying hard to force himself from running around blindly, Link began to ask some of the Kokori if they knew her whereabouts. Finally, a younger female noted that she'd seen the princess off near one of the borders of the village, and after a quick word of thanks, Link sped off in the direction.

* * *

Alone off by a tiny stream, Zelda sat perched by the water's edge and tugged at a blade of grass absently. She'd left without mentioning word to anyone, and was now silently regarding a hastily-construed stone slab stuck in the loose dirt before her. It had a sloppy inscription etched across the surface of the dark slate: _In Memory of King Daedalus_. Accompanying this was an attempt at the royal insignia of the Hyrulian family, slightly off in alignment since the stone had been difficult to carve. Zelda sighed as she reflected in the silence.

She should be grateful. She should be relieved, she thought to herself. She'd managed to escape from Ganondorf with her life intact and was finally reunited with Link after a painful separation. But all she could think about was the empty feeling in the hollow of her chest. The space where her triforce had interwoven so integrally with her very soul. The space where the love for her father resided. The place where her yearning to save Hyrule's people had been kept. Now it was completely empty. Zelda couldn't stand it. Engrossed in her thoughts, Zelda did not hear the footsteps approaching nor identify the newly added presence of another until the visitor plopped down beside her on the grass. When she turned to her left, Link was staring at the stone monument silently.

"It's dangerous to go off alone," he spoke evenly without looking at her, in a way that way scolding without being harsh. "Especially since Ganondorf will be out looking for us…"

Zelda regarded this then turned away.

"I know. It's just…I wanted to do something, to commemorate my father somehow. I thought a private ceremony in honour of his memory would be fitting, seeing as how he never had an official one." Zelda turned dead silent as she recalled the last moments of seeing her father before his death. She's been yanked away so suddenly that goodbyes or parting words had been impossible. Secretly she yearned to have just one last conversation with him, even just a few words if only for a moment. But the chance would never come.

Link squeezed her hand in understanding but did not venture any words of comfort. In the past few weeks, he'd tried not to think of the King's dying moments, as these memories were still very painful for him, but Link let his mind wander momentarily. With vivid recollection he could picture the King's broken body weighing heavily in his arms, his life draining rapidly as he desperately tried to get words out in the time left. It had been painful to watch, and it was painful now to recall. Daedalus had conveyed one wish in that moment, that Link would protect his daughter. And then his eyes had closed for the last time.

Link cringed inwardly and quickly pushed the memory from his mind as unpleasant emotions flooded back in full force. Beside him, Zelda had begun to cry quietly into her palm despite best efforts to contain it, and in a simple but strong gesture, Link drew the princess over against his shoulder and they stayed together in silence for the remainder of the afternoon.

* * *

Some distance away within the confines of a tattered Hyrule Castle, Ganondorf regarded the market below him from a corridor window with a stern expression and set jaw. There was a commotion occurring that drew his attention after a civilian attempted to flee Castle Town, and now a small bundle of his servants had the citizen pressed against the stone wall. Without a blink, Ganondorf watched as one of them delivered strike after strike across the man's back with a whip, ignoring the anguished cries that each hit caused. Growing bored, it was not long before Ganondorf continued on his way until he was removed from the sound of the sharp cracks and subsequent screams. Under his regime, there was no tolerance for those who tried to escape. If the subject in question made any further attempts to protest, the penalty would be death.

Ganondorf continued walking the familiar halls, though the décor was no longer anything like it had been under King Daedalus' reign. The same blackness that had been sighted across the land had reached the castle. It was not long before the castle succumbed to the vaporous plague, leaving tattered furniture, fraying wall scrolls, and deteriorating hallways in its wake. All of the former servants had been killed the day of Ganondorf's usurp of the throne, and now a grand assortment of bizarre monsters and dark creatures roamed the grounds. One of them, a grotesque looking thing with a pointed snout that walked on its back legs and held a spear, approached Ganondorf once he reached the main staircase and bowed respectfully. Several subordinates of smaller stature did the same from behind. With mild regard, Ganondorf waited until the creatures straightened before addressing the foremost one, the appointed leader.

"Have you found anything yet?" he grumbled to the lesser creature. While the recruits in behind shrank slightly under the stern gaze of the intimidating man, the one he directed the question to did not flinch.

"We have been searching steadily, my lord," he began with a humble, scratchy voice, fighting to avert his gaze from the Gerudo king. "All towns to the north-east are secured, and Lake Hylia is being taken as we speak. Any travellers we come across are being detained and questioned extensively." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, when Ganondorf noticed the creature's eyes shift for a slight second. "We still have yet to locate them, sir." Judging from the way Ganondorf's eyed bulged at this comment, he suddenly regretted including that last update.

"Have you searched _everywhere_?" Ganondorf asked, his tone quickly turning sour. Now it was the leader's turn to flinch.

"N-No, not everywhere, sir…" He turned quieter with every word. A powerful hand suddenly shot out and tightened around his throat. With a startled yelp, the thug was lifted upwards until he was face-to-face with a seething Ganondorf.

"Then I suggest you start _**looking**_ harder!" he added. "It seems I have to remind you that if the last two pieces of the Triforce are _not_ obtained, then everything I've done up until now will be _worthless_! The princess and Link _**must **_be found!" Thoroughly disgusted, Ganondorf threw the individual away, and he landed on the hard floor with a yelp before scrambling to his knees. "If you dare to come back here again without both of them, I _will_ kill you."

"Y-Yes, Lord Ganondorf!" The creature bowed his frame completely to the floor and dared not to look up. With a final huff of distaste, Ganondorf threw them the most menacing scowl possible before swiftly turning on his heel. It was only once he was gone that any of them dared move, and even longer before any attempted to speak. Now thoroughly shaken, the leader finally turned to the cowering subordinates and directed they pull together more troops to begin a meticulous search of all of Hyrule's land. It was time to pour every expense they had into hunting down the elusive pair that had managed to escape undetected before now.

* * *

Towards the east, Link was training fervently in a silent corner of the village, oblivious of the plots to end his life. With focused motions he raised the Master Sword and carved repetitive, clean slices through the air, twirling and arching skilfully as he did so. Kokiri Forest had been blessed with pleasant weather as of late, and that had provided him with plenty of opportunities to get sword exercises in. It also meant Zelda had been spending almost every free moment with the Kokiri whenever she wasn't helping Saria. For three days in a row now she'd been excusing herself to go out amongst the village, and was usually gone for upwards of seven hours. He hadn't talked to her at all during this time, at least no more then shallow greetings or parting words before she would whisk herself off to other parts of the forest.

The recollection struck a nerve with Link, who had resigned himself to intense training as a means of keeping his mind busy, but now his moves suddenly became sloppy from distraction. He attempted several more strikes and combinations in a final effort to reroute his irritation, but finally gave up when the frustration became too much. Link sheathed the sword, and with a defeated shuffle plopped down against the siding of a nearby house with a sigh. He took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow, then opened one of the many side pouches at his belt before digging through it. A moment later, he pulled his ceramic blue ocarina from it; though too out of breath to play anything, Link instead simply observed the instrument in his palm while recollecting on his training in the Hyrulian army.

'_Remember what you're fighting for_,' he thought softly. To his surprise, a pair of green boots suddenly appeared in his field of vision, and when he looked up Saria was regarding him with a warm smile. He'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard the Kokiri girl approach.

"Can I join you?" she asked with a bell-like voice. Link smirked and nodded to the spot beside him, then hastily put the ocarina away. "You've been working hard, huh?" she asked soon after.

"Yeah," Link laughed half-heartedly while scratching at his hat. "Gotta get ready to take on Ganondorf, you know?" The warrior was not eager to show just how tied up his thoughts were at the moment, and hoped his voice wasn't betraying him.

"You seemed to get tripped up a bit toward the end there, though," she answered softly, meaning that she must have been watching Link train without his knowing. His heart fell a little and his shoulders seemed to droop a bit now.

"Oh…you saw that, huh?"

"Sorry." To his shock, Saria giggled at the depressed sound to his voice and immediately looked at her with questioning eyes. "You see, I've been keeping an eye on both of you and lately you seem bummed out or preoccupied or something, which surprises me a little. I thought you'd be happy that Zelda's gotten so much better. But for the past three days you've locked yourself away in this little corner, doing nothing but training and sulking. I just wanted to see if you're okay."

Link was both amazed and dismayed at her knack for seeing right through to what people were really thinking; he ruffled a hand through his unruly hair before exhaling a relenting sigh.

"Man Saria, no wonder everyone comes to you for advice. _Nothing_ gets past you." Link closed his eyes before drawing one knee up to rest his left arm upon, then gazed out again towards to village. In the distance, he watched as children danced joyfully around the princess, who was laughing along with them. Despite best attempts to prevent it, a tinge of jealous sparked in the warrior's heart. He sighed again then looked at the ground. "It's a bit ridiculous, but I guess I'm just disappointed that I don't get to spend much time with Zelda these days. I mean, I'm thrilled that she's better now and fully recovered, but after being separated for four months, I assumed we'd be around each other a lot more once I found her. I mean, I see her every day, but…she spends all of her time with the Kokiri, and…_ahh_, what am I saying?" Link smacked himself in the face with his palm, resigning himself to silence before he kept babbling unnecessarily. Saria smile secretively and drew her arms up under her knees.

"Don't worry Link, I think I understand what you're saying. Why don't I talk with her, since she's staying at my house?"

Link emerged from his palm, looking slightly fearful.

"W-Wait, what are you going to say?" He really didn't want Zelda to know that he'd been pouting for the past seventy-two hours over something like this. Saria winked and gave him a trusting smile.

"Just to relay that you miss spending time with her. It's not like she's _trying_ to ignore you, right?"

"Yeah, it's understandable considering she's spent her whole life cooped up in a castle…I guess I'm being kinda selfish"

"Don't worry." Saria stood up abruptly and glanced towards the blue-hued sky with a bright grin. It's was still mid-afternoon, giving her plenty of time to pull Zelda aside. She looked back at Link over her shoulder. "I'm sure Zelda feels the same and probably misses you a lot too, but isn't consciously thinking of it. A good girl chat should do the trick." Link couldn't stop the smirk that appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Thanks, Saria. I sure do appreciate all of your help…with everything."

"Sure thing. Well, I'm off!" She waved abruptly, and without waiting a moment longer, departed towards the village. Link sat in contemplation for a moment, then rose to his feet while simultaneously redrawing his sword.

* * *

With a set mind and determined route, Saria made a beeline for her target on the other side of the village. Many children were engrossed with constructing wildflower necklaces or performing various tricks with their faeries for the entertainment of the princess. As she approached, Saria realized that it probably wasn't a good idea to appear rushed and out of breath, and opted instead to slow to a natural stroll. Fortunately, Zelda didn't notice her initially, and only waved good-naturedly once she did.

"Hi Saria! Where are you off to?"

"Oh, uh…!" Saria racked her brain for a believable excuse, needing something that would retract the princess from the group of youngsters without seeming obvious. Generally she had a policy of honesty, but was decent at stretching the truth when she needed to. "I was going to prepare some ingredients for dinner tonight," she commented, hoping the prompt was enough for her to take the bait. To her relief, Zelda stood up and walked over.

"Oh, let me help!" The princess joined her with an enthusiastic expression. Saria had never felt more relieved.

_That was probably way too easy_.

Once they were inside Saria's home, both girls set to work on peeling and washing vegetables for a soup recipe. Saria removed the peels with ease in smooth, uninterrupted strings, while Zelda often had to stop and start again with her own. Despite her obvious struggles, she happily continued about her task.

"Since I offered to help out in the village, cooking can fall under one of my duties," she commented in a conversational manner while stopping to examine her botched handiwork. "I feel a bit embarrassed to admit this, but this is my first time preparing food."

"Oh, is that so?" Saria responded in genuine surprise, but realized that it wasn't so unreasonable considering she was royalty. And it certainly explained why her carrots were so chunky. "Well soup is a good place to start." Saria scooped up her pile of vegetables and placed them in a strainer along with Zelda's. "I'm glad you're here to help me. Actually, I also wanted to talk with you about the village..." Zelda paused momentarily before continuing to chop some potatoes, not noticing that they weren't peeled.

"…Oh? Is everything alright?" she ventured hesitantly. A nervous feeling suddenly seeped into the pit of her stomach.

"Oh yes, sorry if I made that sound bad." Saria countered quickly. "I just wanted to say that we all appreciate the time you've been spending with us and that you care about where we're at in the state of things. But I'm a bit worried about Link…" Zelda's ears immediately pricked at the sound of his name, and she turned to Saria, now fully attentive.

"Is something wrong? Is he alright?" Her mind reeled as she tried to recall the last words she'd spoken with him, trying to remember any hint of indication that he might not be well. She couldn't even remember what day they'd spoken last. Before Zelda could panic too much, Saria continued calmly.

"He's just fine, but I think he's lonely. Link's usually pretty chipper, but for the past while he's seemed…depressed I guess. He was like that during the four months you were gone, too. The past year has been pretty hard on him."

Zelda turned back to her cutting board and lowered her head slightly as guilt set in. Link hadn't mentioned a word to her, but Saria was right, he was probably suffering. His warrior's training had taught him to always fight despite the circumstances, but even so it had to be hard putting on a strong front all the time.

"You're right…" she answered finally, feeling terrible now. "I got so caught up in myself that I didn't even think of how he was feeling…" Disheartened, she put aside her knife and left the half-chopped vegetable incomplete. "I need to apologize to him…"

"Why don't you just make it up to him?" Saria started cheerfully, very pleased with herself now that Zelda was on the right track. "It would probably bum him out more if he saw you getting depressed too, so why don't you do something nice to show him that you appreciate everything he's done?"

"Like what?" Zelda turned to ask. Saria hummed in thought before smirking at the vegetable pile.

"How about you make him dinner? A good meal always endears a man towards a lady, isn't that what they say?" Zelda's eyes lit up at the thought, but then she turned hesitant.

"Wait though, I've never made a meal before, remember?"

"Don't worry," Saria bounded over, carrying a recipe sheet in hand, "just follow these instructions, it's really simple. I'll go let Link know to come for dinner in about an hour. I bet he'll be overjoyed!" Zelda looked doubtful, but after mulling the idea over for a moment decided to take the recipe.

"I'll try," she said determinedly.

* * *

After Saria relayed the message to Link, he had taken the time to wash up and get presentable before going to dinner. She hadn't said what was waiting for him, except that Zelda was putting something together as a gift to him. He felt nervous, but was elated that they were finally going to spend some time together, and hopefully this would mend the distance between them. He knocked twice upon arriving at the door, then gingerly let himself in before being greeted by Zelda.

"Oh, Link, you're here!" She smiled over at him from the sink, then nodded towards the wooden table and chairs. He noted the pot situated beside her and the peculiar aroma that was wafting from whatever its contents were. Zelda hummed to herself lightly, and he followed her cue towards the table.

"You made dinner?" he asked while seating himself.

"I've never really tried cooking before," Zelda commented as she placed the dish down in front of him before seating herself as well. The meal looked normal enough, but her comment was enough to make Link stare at the table a moment before hesitantly reaching for the spoon. As Link dipped the curved utensil into the soup broth, he mentally reassured himself of its edibility.

'_It's soup_,' he reasoned, raising the filled spoon slowly. '_Soup. Piece of cake. No one can mess up soup. Anyone can make something so simple. I've got nothing to worry about_.' He paused for a split second, the spoon hovering just inches from his open mouth, and flicked his eyes over to Zelda, who was watching with the excited anticipation of a child. Not wanting to disappoint her, he closed his mouth around the spoon, tilted his chin up, and let the warm liquid stream down his throat. At first, there was nothing. Then the stinging started; Link had to force his jaw shut to keep from gagging.

"Z-Zelda," he gasped, looking aghast at the bowl in front of him. "W-What did you put in this?"

"Horseradish," Zelda said simply, mistaking his repulsion for shocked delight. "I thought it might give it a better flavour," she added. "What do you think?"

"I don't think there's anything I can say that can adequately describe this," Link said as he lifted another wary spoonful to examine it. Zelda again misunderstood him and reached for the spoon in his hand.

"Let me try," she said, to which Link gasped and quickly retracted his arm to keep the spoon out of reach. This effectively seared the burning liquid to his pants, earning a shocked yelp of pain from the victim. Zelda tried to grab it again, so Link jumped up and ran behind the opposite side of the table. "Link! C'mon, let me try!"

"You can't!" Link spat more quickly than he'd meant to, leaving him stumbling to recover. "Uh, I mean, it's bad to share utensils! Very unsanitary!"

Zelda only looked at him with a quirked eyebrow before sliding her chair back and turning around. "I'll just get my own then," she said, heading for the kitchen. Link panicked and sprinted at full speed to slide in front of the utensil drawer before sticking his arms out in protest.

"No, wait! You…You can't do that either!"

"Why not?" Zelda said crossly while placing her knuckles at her hips. Link's mind raced to think of a legitimate excuse. He used to be such a good liar, why did he suck at it now?

"You've been having soup for such a long time, aren't you tired of it by now?" he tried, hoping that tactic might work better, but the princess did not look convinced.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were lying," she said, deliberately moving to the left to see if he'd reciprocate. When he did, she stepped to the right and watched as he mimicked the motion. Zelda stood motionless again and stared at him expectantly.

"But you _do _know better, right?" Link laughed nervously whilst trying not to squirm under her stern gaze. Unexpectedly, Zelda sighed and sagged her shoulders in defeat.

"Is it really that bad?"

He was taken aback by her soft words and immediately felt guilty for lying to her. Without thinking, he reached his arms out and placed his hands atop her shoulders.

"No, Zel – well, yes, but," he faltered under her sudden glare and swallowed before trying again. "You had the gist of it down, I think you just got a bit too ambitious with your ingredients, that's all." Zelda's expression eased up a bit. "If you tried again, without the…uh, extra touches, I think it'd be perfect. Besides, most people have to try something a few times before they get a hang of it, right?" A hint of a smile was beginning to form on her lips, allowing Link to breathe an inward sigh of relief. "I'll still eat it though, to make up for hurting your feelings," he said with a voice of sudden determination and walked with purpose toward the table where the bowl sat alone. Zelda's eyes grew wide as she spun around to follow his movement, completely horrified that he would still ingest the failed concoction.

"Wait, Link! Don't, I don't want you to!" Link continued to stalk forward, so in exasperation Zelda shot forward and practically yanked his left arm off in an attempt to intercede, causing Link to stumble back with a yelp. Unfortunately, Zelda had not anticipated the consequences of this action and realized too late that Link was heading straight for her. There was a loud crash that echoed in the kitchen, accompanied by two shouts, and then a period of silence.

After a moment of regaining her senses, Zelda opened her eyes to realize that she was sprawled across the floor, with the exception that something firm and green had cushioned her.

"Ahh!" Zelda's head shot up when she realized Link was flat on his back below her, wincing in pain and moaning as he rubbed at the tender spot behind his head. He opened one eye to acknowledge the princess' well-being, then sighed loudly.

"Geez Zel, I'd rather sustain injury from ingesting the soup than practically having my skull cracked open," he joked half-seriously. Zelda looked absolutely horrified and began stuttering apologetically.

"L-Link, I-I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yank your arm so hard, b-but if you'd have eaten the rest of that soup you probably would have had to have been hospitalized, and then you might have died, and -!"

Unexpectedly, hysterical laughter interrupted her tirade, and Zelda sat back in stunned silence. Link's hearty laugh filled the kitchen, immediately dispelling the tense air that had been there a moment ago.

"Oh Zel," he chuckled, still not quite over himself as he touched his forehead to hers. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, no one would _die_ from eating your soup. What a ridiculous thing to worry about," he said before cracking up into another round of laughter as he pulled her up along with him. "Besides, _I_ was the one who made sure I'd hit the floor, so it's kinda my fault anyway."

Although Zelda was impressed that Link had had enough time to react during the fall to do so, she still pouted anxiously and glanced up at him with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," he dismissed quickly. Suddenly looking mischevious, he put his arm around her shoulder and guided her outside, grinning slyly as he did. "Let's give the soup to Mido as a present, I'm sure he'll appreciate the sentiment."

* * *

A special thanks goes out to my best friend Manda-chan for suggesting the idea of using horseradish in the soup! :) Thank you!

And once again, I STILL had too much information and had to divide it into yet _ANOTHER_ chapter. Hopefully it won't take me another semester to post, though!  
P.S. if this chapter seems kind of…choppy, it's because I wrote different sections of it at different times. o.O


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Whoa, hey guys! Sorry for going on hiatus for like, a year – I have returned with new determination to draw this fanfic to a close! Thank you to those who have endured the wait this long, and without further ado, I hope you enjoy these last few chapters!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. But that's okay, that's what fanfics are for.

* * *

"I want you to train me."

Several days had passed in relative quiet throughout the village, taking the inhabitant's minds from the war being wreaked just beyond their borders. The sun was shining strong enough for rays of light to reach down through the thick overhead of brush, creating a warm overtone in the air. Link had been practicing diligently when the Hyrulian princess boldly approached.

"Huh?" Link stopped mid-swing to glance over at her, not sure he'd heard correctly. Zelda stood with a set gait, arms crossed and eyes steady, staring at the young man with determination. There was a silence for a moment before Zelda again opened her mouth.

"The battle with Ganondorf will be soon, right? Teach me how to fight."

As the request reached Link's ears, he straightened immediately and returned her piercing gaze without hesitation.

"No." A sharp, metallic ring echoed as he sheathed his sword with one swift gesture, promptly raising a hand when Zelda moved to protest. To her surprise, his voice was stern. "Forget it, Zel. I'm going alone."

"You absolutely are not!" she countered, both horrified and furious that he'd even suggest the idea. Link turned away slightly, _tsk_ing to himself before running a hand through his bristled bangs. Another silence followed as Link gathered his thoughts. He'd been meaning to have this conversation with her, but knew from the start that it wouldn't go well. Wanting to avoid any further argument, Link took a slow breath and tried again.

"Look, Zel…" He looked conflicted as he seemed to reach for her hands, then stopped. His eyes wandered to the tawny gauntlets, worn with use, strapped to his wrists that covered palms etched with the scars of battle – the hands of a warrior. Zelda followed his distracted gaze but said nothing. "…You experienced first-hand what Ganondorf is capable of, so you know how dangerous this is going to be. When things get rough, I don't want you anywhere near that place. Not after seeing what he did to you." He averted his gaze away so that some bangs fell forward, leaving his eyes hidden behind a golden veil. Sheepishly, he took her hand into his own. "…I don't ever want you to experience that kind of pain again."

A light hand came to rest atop of the warrior's, earning Link's attention once more. Curious and slightly surprised, he turned his face back towards her and was met with a gentle smile, though the princess's eyes remained lowered.

"You've always protected me," she began, the smile growing a little more. "For as long as I can remember, you've been looking out for my well-being, even if it meant you had to bear with some hardship because of it. Never once did you complain. And now, you're going up against the biggest hardship yet." Absently, Zelda turned the palm nestled in her hands upward to trace along its shape. "These hands…have carried so much already…That's why I want to help you, Link." She looked up at him then, her cerulean eyes bright with a sadness and sincerity that pierced through to the core. Link's own azure eyes stared back, but he hesitated to speak in case his own words betrayed him. His resolve, so strong only moments before, was beginning to break down faster than he could build it up again.

"No, Zel," he answered weakly. He motioned to pull his hand away, but her fingers tightened immediately.

"I'm not letting you fight alone," she stated in a firm tone. It was soft, reassuring. He couldn't find a way to reply. "It doesn't have to be much, just teach me enough to be of help. Once I have my full Triforce back, I'll be able to aid in sealing his power. But until that point comes, I need to be able to defend myself."

"…I don't like this."

"I know." Fingers squeezed around his hand comfortingly. "You have to trust me. I'm capable. And you're a good teacher."

"That better not be empty praise aimed to sway my decision," he finally answered with a hint of humour, earning a bright smile from the woman.

"You know I would never do that."

"Hmm, I wonder?" Link mused teasingly, at which the princess pouted slightly.

"You know I wouldn't," she mumbled again. Laughing now, he flicked his hand up to catch the tip of her nose, at which Zelda recoiled with a gasp and slapped a hand over it comically. Leftover tension from before now flowed into a light-hearted atmosphere as Link laughed again at her expense.

"Alright, I'll give it some consideration, but I'm not deciding on it today, okay?" Zelda nodded happily before turning, taking hold of his arm to lead him back to Saria's for lunch. Light humming drifted up as she did so, the lullaby that Link often played for her, while the warrior sighed to himself in lamentation. '_Dear Farore, I'm weak…_'

* * *

Not long before noon the next morning, Link and Epona ventured to a nearby open meadow no more than five minutes from Kokiri Forest. Unlike most surroundings in the area, the meadow had no thick over brush and was free of large trees, creating a wide ring of open sky. Link was sprawled lazily in the grass, using his arms to form a makeshift pillow beneath his head as he waited for Zelda to show up. Epona was grazing a few meters away in content silence, indicating that no danger was nearby; her tail flicked slowly, swaying the blades of grass as she moved from one patch to another.

Turning his attention away, Link glanced up to the bright sky above, taking note of the nice weather with a smile. It was rare to see such a blue sky these days. As he watched the clouds lull by, his mind inevitably wandered back to the events of that morning. Zelda had kept her promise by not bringing up the training sessions at all after their previous discussion. As he'd suspected though, it was the first thing they spoke of that morning. She hadn't even said anything when he came to meet her. Reacting to her expectant gaze, Link had just blurted out that they'd start training that afternoon, despite all intentions of saying no. So here he was, reluctant and slightly annoyed at himself.

Feeling pathetic, Link sighed, exhaling heavily through his nose. To his left was a pile of assorted weapons, including the Master Sword, a shield, some archery equipment, a hookshot, a slingshot, and a boomerang, among other smaller items. Though trying to focus on the clouds, his eyes constantly kept drawing back to the dormant pile a few feet away. Both he and the princess were stubborn about getting their own way, but he knew Zelda was going to win at this one, no matter what argument he tried. And it was irritating him to no end. Normally he'd just get over it, but this loss had put him in a particularly bad mood.

"It's life or death…" he mumbled, thinking of the battle ahead. Zelda wasn't stupid, but did she really understand what she was getting into? Drifting off in thought, Link didn't immediately perceive that something was causing his bangs to shift slightly. It was only when a ruddy snout began to nudge gently at his cheek that he took notice, turning slightly to grin at Epona. He laughed once when the horse drew back her upper lip and began to graze at his nose, patting her neck when she moved away. Just as he was about to settle back down, a sudden tugging sensation from his head immediately caught the man's attention. "Hey, Epona!" he scolded with false irritation, shooing the mare's muzzle away. "You know the hat is off limits!"

The horse complied with a soft whinny, instead picking at a patch of dried grass next to Link's head. Link exhaled slowly as he settled back into the grass and stared into the open sky above. He was getting restless. It happened any time he stayed in one spot too long. Even Epona had been acting antsy lately, despite being a patient horse. As he thought, his mind drifted to an earlier conversation with Saria…

"_You want to leave in three days?"_

"_If not sooner. I'm sure you've noticed, haven't you Saria? The forest is changing. At first, it was just on the outskirts. But even the village is showing early signs of decay. It won't be long now." _

The black fog that had descended across all of Hyrule was beginning to infect the forest as well. Several brown patches, which Link originally mistook as skulltula lairs, were growing darker and darker by the day; many of them had infected nearby plants and vegetation as well. He'd been working diligently to remove as much of the decay as possible, but it proved ineffective in preventing the spread. The upbeat, vibrant atmosphere of Kokiri Forest would soon be a rotting wasteland. Link knew it was time to get moving.

"_Liiiink_!"

A distant voice carried over from somewhere nearby. Link sat up to rest on his knees as he turned towards the source of the sound, while Epona just lifted her head lazily. All he could really make out at first was the golden-blonde of her hair reflecting in the sunlight. He smiled despite himself, the sight of the princess automatically ebbing away at his bad mood. His expression by the time she arrived, however, had become one of shock.

"Are you surprised?" she asked cheerfully as she caught up to them. Rather than responding immediately, Link only stared in dumbfounded silence as Zelda came to a stop before him. Any traces of her royal attire had been completely removed, replaced instead by new garbs fit for travelling. Her dress had been swapped with a fitted tunic and leggings, along with tanned lace-up boots and a multi-functional belt. Her hair, normally left down to cascade around her back and shoulders, had been knotted into a long braid, leaving only several curls loose to frame her face. The only familiar piece in the entire ensemble was the set of golden triforce earrings that dangled from her ears. Seemingly pleased with herself, Zelda waited expectantly as Link stood stationary, his mouth opening and closing like a beached fish. Epona seemed to express her approval by munching at the end of the woman's braid, earning a laugh from the princess as she turned to stroke the mare's neck.

"I guess this is why you were late, huh?" he finally said, earning a nod.

"We started last night and finished it up this morning," she replied, referring to the Kokiri. "Saria had the idea to use the fabric from my dress to make something more adventure-friendly. I'd rather not take my chances trying to fight in a dress."

Link began to nod, but stopped as a perplexing thought occurred to him.

"But wait – you started this last night, not knowing if I was going to agree to training or not?"

Zelda smiled at the accusatory tone hinting in his voice.

"I knew," she answered simply, earning a look that was half cynical and half annoyed in return. Reading Link's reaction, her eyes became apologetic. "Please don't be mad, Link. I know you don't like what I'm asking you to do, but please try to see where I'm coming from. All I want is to be able to stand at your side and assist in any way I can." Her hand gently curled around his, and immediately Link detected his resistance crumbling. Reluctantly, he met her gaze. The moment their eyes met, his posture deflated into a defeated hunch.

"Crap, Zel," he sighed, using his free hand to smack his forehead, "the _second_ you pull things like that, it makes it impossible to argue." He looked at her again with glinting eyes, indicating that he was teasing. Zelda smiled in relief, and finally the man straightened again. "I gotta admit though, you handle the roguish look well. I didn't even recognize you at first."

"It'll take a while to get used to…" she began sheepishly, turning red at his remarks while pretending to adjust her arm guards. Realizing he had regained the upper hand, Link's smile progressed into a victorious smirk. "Epona thinks you look cute too." As if agreeing, the horse whinnied nearby. The princess turned a notably brighter shade of red. Obviously embarrassed, she tried desperately to keep her mind from racing any further off track than it already was, inhaling deeply to regain her composure. With his little habit of flicking her nose, Link quickly recovered Zelda's attention before nodding to the pile of weaponry behind him.

"Shall we get started?"

* * *

It didn't take long to decide which weapon Zelda would use. Though she was familiar with swordplay through years of watching Link and other soldiers in the court, a blade proved too heavy for her to yield with any sort of effectiveness. Large artillery of any sort was out of the question. They opted for a lighter weapon that wouldn't inhibit mobility or speed, finding a good match in the bow and arrow. Zelda seemed pleased with the decision, carefully examining the carved wood along the length of the bow. It was slender but strong, showing only signs of light use. As a precaution, she also kept the slingshot fastened to her belt as a backup weapon, though it was unlikely to be effective. The princess went about fastening her quiver and archery gear as Link set up a target just halfway across the meadow, before moving Epona to be safely harnessed in the forested area behind them. Walking back to meet her, it was clear to see the excited grin pulling at his lips. No matter how much he protested, Link enjoyed teaching skills to other people.

"Okay, we can get started now," he began, moving to plant himself beside Zelda. "You ready?" The princess smiled and nodded once, trying not to let signs of nervousness show. Fortunately Link seemed caught up with the task at hand and didn't appear to notice. "Since you're right-handed, it'll be backwards to how I do it, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Let's start with your stance…"

Zelda's heart jumped as a hand gently rested on her shoulder, applying just enough pressure to guide her positioning. Link moved behind her, slightly to the left, and shuffled the young woman around until he seemed happy with her placement.

"You want to be perpendicular to your target," he explained with a serious air while pointing at the makeshift board, guiding Zelda's eye as he did so. "Start by placing your feet shoulder-width apart and legs straight, so that you get a firm stance. Your entire shot depends on correct form before actually releasing the arrow, so this is where you want to put the most focus. Next, we'll load the bow…" Zelda's heartbeat kicked up a notch as Link took a step closer and carefully brought his arms around either side of her to take hold of the bow, again using gentle movements as a guide.

"To load an arrow," he continued softly, pulling an arrow from her quiver in a fluid motion, "hold the bow perpendicular to the ground so that you can nock the end of it onto your string. And see how this feather is different from the other two? That indicates which one you want to be pointing up from the ground." To illustrate his point, Link pushed the string into the notch of the arrow and secured it with a slight _tok_. As Zelda watched his hands moving about the bow, her gaze inadvertently strayed to the arms on either side of her. They were steady and firm, having clear definition despite his lean form. She could feel his warm breath grazing her ear as he spoke, and after a moment she snuck a glance back at his face. His eyes were fixed on the bow as he spoke, but the unexpectedly tender expression on his face just about made the princess melt.

_Had he ever had that expression before…?_

"…then you raise your arm and prepare to aim - "

The sudden movement of Zelda's arm being raised snapped her mind back to attention. She immediately took note of whatever Link was saying, trying to fill in the blanks of the parts she had missed, all while furiously trying to fight off the burning sensation in her cheeks. He was explaining the anchor point as he guided her right arm in drawing the string back, helping to hold her left arm steady as she adjusted to the new pressure brought on by a taught bow. Once her right hand was rested securely at her jaw, Link guided her left arm into place for aiming.

"Try not to raise your shoulder once you're aiming," he whispered, helping correct her stance as needed. Now that her gaze was focused entirely on the target, Link took note of the young woman from the corner of his eyes, enjoying the proximity between them. '_Maybe this isn't so bad after all…' _Catching his loss of concentration, Link ripped his eyes away before continuing. "As you pull back on the string, begin to let your arm relax and use the muscles in your back to hold it, just like that. Okay, when you're ready to shoot, just relax your fingers."

Link stepped back a few paces, leaving her to finish off the sequence alone. Zelda immediately noticed the strain brought on by the taught string and refocused her aim one final time. Quietly rehearsing what he'd said, she fully drew back the remainder of her bow arm and steadied herself. She focused now on her fingers, holding her breath in the silence…

_Thwack._

The arrow landed firmly in the target, slightly off and to the right beneath the bull's-eye. Surprised at the success of the hit, Zelda lowered the bow wordlessly to gawk at it.

"_Nice hit_, Zel!" Link cheered as he returned to his place beside her. She grinned broadly, overjoyed that it had connected. "That got really close for a first shot. On the next round, try to follow through with your stance so that your arm doesn't drop once the arrow's been released. That may have been why it hit kind of low." As he was explaining, Zelda eagerly drew another arrow from her quiver and set about readying a second draw. Link stood back this time, a little to her disappointment, guiding in small verbal steps as she prepared. "Make sure your posture is balanced…draw it back towards your cheek…now tuck your thumb in…good." Confident now, Zelda finalized her aim in only a matter of seconds, and without hesitation, released the string in one fluid motion. To both of their amazement, the arrow landed squarely in the bull's-eye.

"I got it!" Zelda squealed in surprise.

"Whoa...You're actually…really good…" Link mirrored with the same sense of awe. Almost frantically, Zelda grabbed another arrow, took aim, and shot once more. A second bull's-eye. A third. She cleared the middle almost five times in a row. Link could only watch in stunned silence, his eyes barely believing the sight befalling them. As he watched the arrows hit time and time again, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of exasperation amidst his pride for the girl – was it possible to be this good in such a short amount of time? It had taken Link much longer to become efficient in archery, at _least _several weeks. And yet, in just a matter of minutes, she'd surpassed him completely.

"I think I've got it!" she beamed, smiling back at him over her shoulder. Not wanting her to see that he was irked from being shown up so easily, Link chuckled instead and shook off the resentment. To be honest, he was grateful that they had gone with this choice since it was a medium to long range weapon – meaning Zelda wouldn't be placed directly in harm's way. As Zelda watched, he seemed to shrug good-naturedly.

"It looks like you have a natural talent for archery." He returned her own cheery smile, and Zelda took aim one final time using the last arrow from her quiver. A crisp echo sounded as the tip sliced easily through the target, at which the princess finally relaxed with a satisfied grin. Zelda was suddenly really grateful for her natural inclination as a fast learner.

Spinning around to face Link, she crossed her arms behind her back and eyed him mischievously. "I told you you're a good teacher!"

"Alright, alright," Link grinned while waving his hands dismissively, returning the mischievous look. "But let's see how you do with _moving_ targets."

* * *

The two spent the majority of the afternoon practicing together in the field, unaware of the passing time as they trained. It was only when Link's stomach shamelessly made itself known that both decided to call it a day. As they made the trek back to Epona, who was waiting patiently along the tree line, Zelda playfully bonked Link's shoulder with her own.

"Thanks Link," she said. She looked at the ground somewhat sheepishly, as if unsure of what she wanted to say. Though the sun was still shining, it had moved further into the western sky, casting a warm blanket of golden light over them. Pausing, she looked up again with resolve. "This way, I think I'll be able to help you."

"You've helped me plenty already…" Link answered automatically, though mostly to himself as he looked out across the forest. Zelda gave him an inquisitive glance, but the warrior only shook his head. A sudden idea caused his eyes to light up as he set about untying Epona's harness, and tilting his chin over, he eyed the princess with his characteristic grin.

"What?" she replied cautiously, raising a quirked brow at the impish grin that was she was all too familiar with.

"Race ya to Kokiri Forest," he offered boyishly, his smirk growing by the second. Before she could fully reply, Link dashed off at full speed while egging her on to hurry up. Zelda opened her mouth to protest, but stopped momentarily with a sly grin. Link continued running at full pace while wondering if he should slow down a bit before the loud sound of horse hooves caught his attention. In disbelief, he watched the burgundy streak of what could only be Epona race by, coupled with the triumphant laughter of Zelda who was perched atop of her. Easily outclassed, Link was now trailing along in the dust trail left behind.

"HEY!" Link protested at their retreating figures, waving his arms wildly as they sped away. In a useless effort to catch up, Link blazed after them into the forest. "No fair, using the horse! _Epona, you traitor!_"

Eventually they made their way back into Kokiri Forest, having slowed down to a walking pace yet again. Zelda had only gone a few hundred meters before drawing the reigns, allowing a breathless Link to catch up – just enough to prove that she could outwit him when she tried. After that they walked together again, maintaining a leisurely pace all the way to Saria's home. She was ready with dinner prepared and waiting, welcoming them back warmly as they entered the house. Link's face lit up gratefully at the sight of the food and he immediately sat himself in front of one of the plates. Zelda joined in next to him, while Saria slid into a chair opposite of them.

"Did it go well?" she asked as they began to eat, assuming it had considering their good mood. '_Actually_…' she observed, taking a slow bite of her stew – it seemed to have gone _more_ than well, judging by their facial expressions. As the meal progressed, Link and Zelda relayed the events of the day in detail, building off of each other's stories as they spoke. When they'd finished, Saria recounted the humorous events of tailoring Zelda's outfit with the other Kokiri and the many mishaps they had encountered along the way. Apparently Mido had sewn his tunic into a seam at one point. The twins had pricked their fingers on sewing needles, simultaneously, and the Know-It-All Brothers had somehow managed to incorporate three separate sleeves into the attire. It was truly a miracle that they'd managed to produce a finished product at all, Saria said.

Amidst all the chatting the trio eventually finished off their food, casting a quiet air about the home as they gathered dishes. Initially Saria had begun the stacking, but Link immediately piped in and insisted on doing it himself. Zelda naturally joined him a moment later, leaving Saria to relax from her perch at the table. She felt like an adoring older sister as she watched them carry off the water pail together, lightly speaking between themselves as they did so. Placing her elbows on the wooden surface, Saria crossed her fingers and let her chin rest against the back of her hands as she observed, a light-hearted smile gracing her features.

'_Somehow being around them…makes me feel so peaceful…'_

She giggled to herself upon seeing Link smear Zelda's nose with a wad of soap suds, earning a comical reaction from the princess, followed by swift retaliation. Her vengeance quickly became apologetic as Link got soap in his eyes, garnering frantic worry from the princess as she tried to clear the foam away. The charade was up, however, when Link immediately blew a gust of air into her face once Zelda's guard had dropped, sending a stream of bubbles flying into the air. Zelda's immediate reaction was to clonk him on the shoulder, but upon seeing how ridiculous he looked smirking through a face full of rainbow bubbles, she couldn't help but descend into laughter. Link began to crack up himself, while Saria watched with amusement from across the room.

A sudden wave of sadness passed over her then as she sat amidst the laughter, becoming still in the moment as a realization dawned on her. In just a few days, these two would be facing off against the greatest evil their world had ever known. They'd be putting their lives, _everything_, at stake in a final battle for the kingdom.

…and they had no way of knowing if they'd ever return…

All of them had known this for quite some time. But as Saria sat there, watching the innocent joy between them, it became more real to her in the wake of their laughter than it ever had been before. '_Please_,'she prayed silently, bowing her head with closed eyes. '_Please keep these precious friends safe…_'

When she opened her eyes, Zelda was delicately wiping away bits of soap from Link's temple with careful concentration, lest she _did_ actually get soap in his eyes. A sudden gesture caught Saria's attention, causing the Kokiri girl to perk up eagerly. Link gently began to tuck several strands of flyaway hair back behind Zelda's ears, though it soon became apparent that he was purposefully lingering. The pair were simply staring now, smiling shyly at each other in the silence. The sudden scrape of wood against the floor caused both to jump and spin simultaneously as Saria stood up, resulting in two blushing faces as they remembered her presence in the room. Far from embarrassed, Saria looked delighted.

"This'll do for dishes," she began, her face practically glowing as she shooed them away from the kitchen. "There isn't much left to do, so why don't you two go out for the evening?"

"Er, excuse me?" Link asked, feeling like he'd missed something. Zelda's confused expression mirrored his own.

"You had a full day of training, right? So why don't you take the night off?" Despite her small stature, the Kokiri girl easily shuffled them over towards the doorway.

"But Saria-"

"-you're awfully eager to get rid of us all of a sudde-"

"That's right, I'm kicking you out!" Saria declared with the fiercest voice she could muster, finally getting them outside with one final nudge. "There's such a nice atmosphere tonight, I'd hate for you to waste it!"

And then with one final smile, she gave a cheerful wave and the door closed firmly shut behind her. Too stunned to speak, the perplexed couple simply stood in front of the house, attempting to process what had just happened. It was Link who reacted first, chuckling softly while rubbing his jaw as he pondered. "Well, I guess there's no point in sticking around here, huh?" He looked over to Zelda, who simply shrugged her shoulders in agreement.

"I suppose not. Where should we go then?"

"Hmmm…" Crossing his arms, Link tilted his head back in thoughtful contemplation and fell silent for a moment. Then, with a spark of inspiration lighting his face, he turned to the girl again. "I know a place," he said, taking her hand in his own, "I've actually been meaning to show it to you. C'mon, let's go.

* * *

Night was descending quickly by the time Link and Zelda neared their destination. As they strolled quietly through the fields, neither really spoke. Their hands were still loosely joined, swinging lightly in stride with the rhythm of their footsteps, while Epona wandered around somewhere in the distance behind them. Blinking orbs could be seen on the outskirts of nearby forests as fireflies began to emerge, and soon crickets were chirping together in a unified chorus under the pale moonlight. Thanks to Link's diligence in maintaining the area, there was little concern for monsters, however he kept his guard ready just in case.

"Here we are," he commented soon after as they reached the edge of the clearing. They came to a stop beside a nearly-vertical incline covered in braids of tangled vines that traveled up its entire length. Looking puzzled, Zelda examined it for a moment before glancing at Link.

"This is the place you had in mind?"

"Well, almost." With a determined stride, he stepped up to the slope and grabbed onto the thickest vine with his left hand, then glanced back over at Zelda while offering his right. "Care to join me, your Highness?"

She tentatively eyed the extended hand. "But Epona…?"

"She'll be fine," he said with little concern, trusting the mare to take care of herself. Taking his word for it, Zelda stepped forward to meet Link's hand with her own. With a quick hoist she was lifted up onto a small outcropping that acted as a foothold so that she could gain her bearings. Link was already starting to ascend the wall, but moved slowly so as to keep pace with the woman to the lower right of him.

"It's a good thing I'm not wearing a dress," Zelda mumbled off-handedly from below as she secured her footing amidst the vines, still relying on Link's hand to guide her up. Link only chuckled, then momentarily loosened his grip so he could swing over the top of the incline. Once it was cleared, the warrior leaned over to draw the princess up beside him with both arms.

"This way," he whispered, guiding them both into a net of forestry and shrubs. Using a hand to hold back the overgrowth, Link slowly paved a trail through the maze of green surrounding them. By now, night had completely fallen over the landscape, leaving only the pale gleam reflected from the moon to act as a guiding beacon. Zelda was beginning to wonder if they had gotten lost, when suddenly Link stepped out into an open clearing and came to a stop. As Zelda joined him, a breath caught in her throat at the sight that appeared.

Surrounding them was a circular grove bordered by an array of trees and plantation. Moonlight streamed down into the open clearing and settled atop a pale spring located in the centre of the scenery, casting a dim glow about the air. Situated around the pool were six symmetrical stone pillars standing as the foundation for a series of arches overhead. Much of the stone was cracked and overgrown with vines from age, giving the entire glade an ancient feel. An orchard of night-blooming flowers was scattered about, doting the grass with blooms of ashen white.

Too stunned to speak, Zelda simply stood and admired the breathtaking beauty of the scene. In all of her years strolling through the gardens of Hyrule Castle, she had never seen anything as magnificent as this. Finally she composed herself enough to slowly turn around to look at Link, and again her breath hitched. Bathed in the same pale moonlight as the landscape around them, he was standing at the edge of the clearing with a small smile on his lips, the gentle features of his face regarding her softly. Even amidst the quiet beauty of their surroundings, his eyes stared only at her.

"What is this place?" she barely dared to whisper, her gaze following Link as he strolled next to her. The young man regarded the scene with a reflective silence.

"I think it was once a fairy fountain," he answered in a low voice. "Long abandoned by the looks of it. Even so…" his voice drifted momentarily as his gaze fell to the ground. "Whenever I remain still and listen to my surroundings, I can't help but feel that it's alive…it's like the earth beneath my feet is breathing." Link closed his eyes then and tilted his chin forward, further bathing his face in the moonlight. "I've always felt that near fairies, ever since I was a child. Like a heavy burden is gradually being lifted and your problems suddenly aren't that important anymore. I get the same feeling when I'm here." He was looking at Zelda again now, his eyes alert and clear. "Can you sense it?"

"Yes," she answered softly. "I feel a sense of life lingering here as well, very faint…but it's so peaceful…" Her concentration broke when Link's hand curled around her fingers, drawing them into a soft grip before he padded over to a stone bench on the edge of the clearing. He nodded to the open space beside him as he sat, then leaned forward on his knees once Zelda joined him.

"This place…has been like a safe haven for me," he started with a quirked smile as he looked out across the grove. "Here, Kokiri Forest…it's the last place unaffected by the war. These people still live peacefully…" He glanced back at Zelda, who was listening intently, then continued. "When I'm around them, it's like my heart feels lighter. After seeing nothing but pain and brokenness for so many years, I found it hard to believe that a place like this could still exist. That the Kokiri could be so blissfully oblivious to the terrors on the outside shocked me, but more than that it drew me to them. And they welcomed me without question."

Link's smile doubled in size as he recalled the unconditional kindness the Kokiri had shown him over the past months. Their simple joys had given him enough hope to endure through the weeks of otherwise-unbearable mental torture. That, and…

Inadvertently, his eyes drifted off to the side again, then quickly shifted to the ground.

"I used to come here a lot during those months you were gone," he admitted, suddenly becoming nervous. As Zelda looked over to him in surprise, the warrior began to fidget with a blade of grass in his hands. "I had given up, Zel. On everything. This was the only place I could alleviate the guilt and pain I was carrying. I'd completely lost my will to fight…and then one day, I heard your voice calling out to me. It was as if I'd suddenly woken up, or like a giant fog had been cleared from my head. I don't think I'd ever felt so relieved in my entire life…"

He was picking the grass into pieces now, something Zelda couldn't help but notice considering he _never_ fidgeted – at least not _this_ much. Rather than bring it up, Zelda grabbed her own strand and began to part it into strips.

"If it hadn't been for you, Link," she started quietly, her blue eyes veiled by the tips of her eyelashes as she stared at the ground, "I don't think I would have survived those four months in prison. After a while, a part of me almost _wanted_ to die, just so that I could finally be through with it. Being reminded of how helpless I was day after day, constantly surrounded by hunger and darkness…it was agony." The princess had to fight back tears as painful recollections rolled back all too quickly. Just thinking about it made her sick. "I honestly came to believe that things would never change, that it really was hopeless. But the thought of seeing you again is what kept me going. You saved me, Link – in so many ways."

Link turned to face her, his heart pounding as one of his hands came to rest on top of hers on the bench. A gentle squeeze expressed his understanding for the sense of pain and uncertainty that she'd experienced during those long months, and they shared a knowing glance amidst the silence.

"Zel," Link began, his eyes dropping to their hands on the bench as he tried to mask the apprehension in his voice, not quite knowing what to say. There hadn't been a problem when it came to light flirting between them, but suddenly Link was at a complete loss now that he'd final built up the courage to tell her his true feelings. Even though he'd slowly been working up to it, the moment had come so much faster than he'd planned, and he wasn't completely sure what to do now that it was here.

Clearly struggling for words, he took a deep breath and tried again. "D-During those months…so many things went through my head. I couldn't stand the thought of not knowing if you were okay. It drove me crazy not being able to see you or be near you. I…I wanted to go back to the way things were at the castle, before any of this…" Without realizing it, Link's grip had tightened around her hands considerably as a result of his nerves. Realizing this, he loosened them immediately and took the chance to regain some bearings on his thoughts. They were so jumbled that the man could hardly think straight, but Zelda still hadn't said anything. A sudden stab of fear gripped the warrior. _How on earth was she taking to this?_

Almost reluctantly, Link raised his eyes to the princess. She looked neither upset nor dismayed, only suspenseful. Was he imagining it, or was there a hint of eagerness in her gaze? Her eyes were searching his face with such intensity that he nearly had to pry away. But something inside his mind stopped him and said to keep going. Link could almost feel his courage crumbling by the second – after all, he had run away countless times before. Then their eyes locked, and a _click_ went off in Link's brain as he regarded the beautiful woman in front of him.

_Oh. That's right. None of that mattered now. _

He loved her. He had for years – and years, and years. Somewhere he figured that she knew it too; they'd both known it forever. And yet somehow they'd managed to go all this time without ever saying a word. Link scoffed to himself in amusement. What a fool he'd been.

"I love you, Zel."

Simple and clear. That was all there was to it.

A considerable weight was lifted from the warrior's shoulders in the moments that followed, and with the sincerest of smiles he gazed at the woman before him lovingly. The edges of her eyes were brimming with countless drops of unspilled tears as it all soaked in. Her gentle face was lit with a beautiful smile, and finally she spoke in a trembling, overjoyed voice.

"I love you too, Link. I always have."

They laughed simultaneously, soft and shallow as the moment sunk in. Link's hand rose up to Zelda's cheek to wipe away several trails of tears that had fallen, before tenderly grazing the side of her temple. With hearts pounding, they leaned forward just enough to feel the warmth of each other's breath across their skin, not daring to break eye contact as the gap between them shortened. Link's hand curved around Zelda's cheek, and with a final breath she closed her eyes. The lids on Link's eyes lowered in turn, and he closed the remaining space between them. Their lips brushed together softly, just enough to send a surge of warmth through each of their bodies. Completely captivated, Link drew in closer to deepen the kiss, but a sudden glint from the corner of his eye caused him to draw away and look up in alarm.

Startled at his sudden reaction, Zelda opened her eyes and immediately took note of the terror present in his expression. Turning around to follow his gaze, a cry of horror escaped her mouth at the sight that befell them on the horizon.

Against the dark backdrop of the night sky, violent, burning flames raged upward to cast a blaze into the air. Whipping into the sky like recoiling snakes, the flames cracked angrily as they consumed every inch of forest around them, while smoke poured out from the charred remains left in their wake.

Looking out against the red glare cast across the landscape, the two could only watch in horrified shock as the remnants of Kokiri Forest vanished before their very eyes.

* * *

*takes a deep breath*

Okay, so I struggled between having a fluffy ending vs. having a dramatic one for this chapter, and ended up opting for the drama. There's only one chapter left now, so isn't that how it should be? I tried to make up for it by adding extra "holy crepes, _CUTENESS_!" moments throughout this chapter instead, so I hope you enjoyed that. And if fluff isn't your thing, then hopefully you'll like the upcoming battle instead.

In this story, Link's the type who acts confident but actually gets really shy when the moment comes down to it. Zelda's a bit more honest with her feelings, but that doesn't always mean she's always upfront about them. It only took them, what, 14 chapters and how many years to get to this point? Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope you will stick around for the upcoming conclusion! Stay tuned! :)

And yes, I know the Kokiri don't have doors or sinks or other such things for that matter. *cough artisticlicense cough* Although, I guess it doesn't matter now D:


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: *sob* You guys! It's the last full chapter! Though bittersweet in so many ways, this has been such a wonderful experience for me and it was a privilege getting to take the journey with you. And I apologize for the delay – between developing tendonitis in my right arm and being in final year/having to write a thesis, I was swamped! (and then I just got lazy). But I made this one SUPER extra long as recompense, so I hope you will forgive me!

Disclaimer: I can claim no copyright to the Legend of Zelda whatsoever. Fanfiction is my only consolation. Also, I proofread/edited this chapter _VERY_ quickly before posting, so mistakes may be evident - I'll be sure to go over it again tomorrow after work! :)

* * *

Boots slammed into mud at the outskirts of Kokiri Forest as Epona came to a skidding halt near the edge of the blaze; Link stood motionless, legs frozen and eyes wide as he watched the carnage unfolding around them. His mind raced in a feeble attempt to comprehend what had caused this sudden turn of events, but an overwhelming sense of shock left the warrior unable to react. The forest was hardly recognizable through the thick ash and flame that now consumed it and the air was overwhelmed by the screaming roar of both fire and Kokiri alike. It hadn't taken long to run to the outskirts of the village, but the damage had clearly already been done. As heat seared and wood cracked, they could only watch in horror as monsters rampaged through their midst, horrid guttural laughter echoing from their throats. Link's mind screamed at him to act, but no amount of mental urging could convince the dead weight of his legs to move. He didn't know what was worse – the chaos rapidly extending around him or the fact that he was completely unable to stop it.

Everything about this was wrong.

It couldn't be happening.

This couldn't be happening!

A flowing lock of golden hair whisking by snapped Link out of his daze, and with a jolt he shot forward to grab Zelda around the waist. Tears freely flowed down her face as she struggled to break free, wanting desperately to run into the village and her people within it.

"Stop, Zelda!" he cried, fighting against her struggles. She was almost in hysterics as she thrashed forward, sobbing openly at the destruction around them. Some Kokiri were even in plain sight. If she could only reach them…"Stop!" Link said again, holding her tighter. Seconds later the smoke engulfed the distant forms as well, leaving only a wall of fire. With some effort he pushed her shoulders back to face her directly.

"Saria's still in there!" she said, pleading eyes lifting to face him. "_Saria's still in there!"_ she cried again when he didn't answer. Her tear-stained eyes were half desperate, half accusing as they met his gaze. Her grief was mirrored in his own eyes, but Link remained focused and stern.

"We can't go in there," he whispered, hating himself as the cruel words reached his own ears. A sudden noise from the right caught Link's attention, and he looked back over his shoulder to realize that a Moblin had spotted them. Instantly, it emitted a guttural screech into the air, alerting its kin to their presence. Without wasting a second, Link whistled for Epona and grabbed Zelda up into a bundle before breaking for the exit. Any protest from the princess was ignored as the mare shot by and reared up, whinnying anxiously at them as monsters approached. Link hoisted Zelda up and had barely mounted himself before Epona took off like a shot, ploughing through any obstacles that happened to be in the way. Some monsters dodged and others pursued, but the combined speed and strength of Epona made it impossible for any of the creatures to touch them.

Weaving amidst droves of trees and foes alike, Link dove forward against the mare's neck as a wave of Blue Bubbles descended from the branches above. He managed to raise his shield in time as they emitted breaths of burning flame, though the uneven ground made it difficult to hold his arm steady. Feeling their hot breath singe through a portion of his tunic, Link abruptly raised his shield arm and knocked the closet batch of flaming skulls unconscious. The rebuff granted them enough time to leap past a group of charging Stalfos, and with relief Link saw the wooden bridge signifying the end of the forest come into view. Most of it was encased in flames and on the verge of collapse, so steadying the reigns, Link gave a slight nudge to Epona's side and tucked himself even lower against her neck. "HOLD ON!" he shouted back to Zelda, who was buried against his back. Tightening her grip around his waist, her alarmed squeak was covered by Link's triumphant yell as Epona launched herself across the collapsing chasm, her ivory mane splaying wildly.

They landed roughly on the other side of the gorge, then pelted beyond the outskirts of the forest while time was to their advantage. Angry roars and hisses followed behind them, though these quickly faded as Epona carried them further away. Zelda's grip had loosened since the landing, prompting Link to reach around and lift her to the front to prevent vulnerability from any further back attacks. Then using his slingshot, he finished off the remaining persistent Keese that had swooped upon them. Once the monsters had fallen back, silence settled around them, broken only by the sound of Epona's hooves and Zelda's muffled crying. She was shaking terribly and clung to his torso for support, her face buried in the folds of his tunic.

"I'm sorry," Link offered quietly after a long time. There was deep remorse in his voice, but he tried not to let it show. He focused only on the field before him and not at the girl below. It was taking everything he had to keep it together, and one look at Zelda's shattered face would undo it all in a second. As much as it pained him to admit, his soldier's training had kicked in when it needed to. Any attempt to take back the village would have resulted in capture or death. And they couldn't afford either. Link clenched his teeth suddenly, fighting down the urge to either scream or cry. _But at what cost?_

Zelda grew quiet and her face emerged only once the tears had finally ceased to flow. The overwhelming sense of fear and confusion had settled, but as the princess glanced back at the smouldering forest in the distance, her mind inevitably wandered to the spirited Kokiri who had lived there. For days on end she had dwelled among them, learning their ways and sharing in their small but numerous joys. It was the first time she had experienced a life of simplicity, something unique to the Kokiri that was unlike anything she had ever encountered. For such a tiny people living within the vastness of Hyrule, they had the biggest hearts of any race in the land. A final tear slipped down the contour of the woman's cheek before silently dropping off her chin as she looked at the forest one last time. It was the only chance she'd ever had to finally bond with her people, and in a matter of hours they had been violently and carelessly taken away. In the wake of their deaths, the world had never felt so empty.

She would never forgive Ganondorf.

A sudden glint grabbed Zelda's attention, shifting her attention towards the ground spanning the front of the forest. Squinting to see further, she caught sight of what appeared to be contorted, rolling masses, barely noticeable in the dim firelight. Torch lights suddenly went up among them, and with horror Zelda realized that an army of enemies was now racing towards them, screaming madly as they brandished their weapons.

"Link!"

Catching the urgent tone in her voice, Link followed the direction of Zelda's outstretched finger to the approaching hordes behind them. Flicking the reigns, he sent Epona into an urgent gallop, though a cluster of Wolfos had since managed to gain their ground. The mare whinnied fiercely as they nipped at her legs, making desperate attempts to shake them from her limbs. Link took out the left flank using his sword, while Epona managed to knock the remaining out with her stony hooves. Still other enemies pursued them in such numbers that it was becoming hard to do anything but duck. As suddenly as they had come, however, the multitude quickly faded into decline.

"_Why are they falling back_?" Zelda shouted over the din as Link slashed away a flaming Keese. He glanced back quickly at the retreating forms, equally perplexed at their sudden withdrawal; it was only then that he saw the squalid fog beginning to swell from the ground.

Zelda sensed a sudden jerk behind her, and without warning Link was whipped back from Epona with a yelp. He slammed unceremoniously into the ground, knocking the wind out of him temporarily as he tried to regain his surroundings. Zelda immediately drew Epona back round, and as she neared, the warrior appeared to be prying at his ankles. He was hissing sharply and Zelda noticed that the thing he was trying to remove seemed to have fused into his calf. It was a deep, vapour-like substance that was wrapping its way around Link's leg and seemed to emit a hiss of its own as it singed through Link's clothes.

Then there was a blood-curdling cry as Link rolled to his side, clutching the wounded leg in apparent pain.

"Link…!" Zelda whispered quickly as she fell down beside him. His eyes were shut tight and teeth clenched as he tried to fight it, squirming desperately as he clung to the leg. With a jolt, Zelda realized what had attacked him, what was now greedily making its way up his limb – the black mist that had been wreaking havoc to the lands of Hyrule, that had left trails of decay in its wake. A wave of horror swelled up inside her as Link cried out again, beads of sweat now forming at his brow. His moans of pain became constant as whip-like branches shot from the mist, latching on further and further up his leg while leaving blackened patches of flesh behind them. Zelda's mind was racing – she couldn't pry it off, but how could she stop its advance? Her thoughts became panicked as Link audibly grimaced again before convulsing inward on the ground. The agony of it would kill him if she didn't do something soon.

Without further thought, she snatched an arrow from her quiver and plunged it at the vapour. The wooden shaft glowed momentarily between her fingers, and then there was a fierce screech as the mist began to spasm. Recoiling from Link's leg, it snapped backward and rippled to the dirt before silently sinking back into the ground. Zelda watched its retreat a bit longer to make sure that it had gone, then turned once again toward Link.

"Link?" she whispered, terrified by the look on his face. He didn't seem to have heard her, and with trembling fingers she slipped a hand under his sticky bangs. The skin of his forehead was burning. Her eyes darted back to his leg, which lay crippled and black upon the ground. Her breath hitched as a further revelation sunk in: though the miasma had gone, its decaying effects continued to inch slowly up the limb. It was nearly halfway up his leg now.

Panic set in anew. Lifting her fingers to her lips, Zelda whistled hurriedly for Epona, who promptly stepped forward and lowered her front legs to the ground. As she did so, Zelda slid her arms around Link's torso and hoisted him upward with a groan, positioning him across her shoulder to support his weight better. A concerned whinny came from Epona, and with difficulty Zelda half-dragged him over to the bowing mare. "It's ok, Epona," she answered shakily. "Link's going to be fine." He was panting and seemed delirious as she draped him over the mare's back, following quickly behind to support his barely-conscious form. With a flick of the reigns Epona was standing, pawing the ground anxiously as she awaited direction.

Zelda's mind suddenly reeled. Where should they go? She bit her lip and eyed the rumbling clouds above, forcing herself to rationalize through the panic. The castle grounds would be crawling with monsters, and surely the path there would be fraught with them as well. They needed shelter, and fast. Raindrops began to dot the landscape around them, and with sudden realization, a location surfaced in Zelda's mind. Provided that it was uninhabited, it would be the perfect place to rest and would even help lead them into the castle – that is, _if_…She glanced down at Link and shook the thought away, gripping Epona's reigns firmly. He was going to make it.

Before the princess even had a chance to depart, a chorus of yells filled the air. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw that the distant mob of enemies had resumed their pursuit. Without prompting, Epona kicked into motion, stamping off through the darkness. Zelda's hands clutched the reigns so as to guide her, but her mind could stay only focused on Link. She was suddenly grateful for the heavy rain, which would make them harder to see in their attempt to flee the hordes. With eyes focused on the downpour ahead, Zelda extended her mind to his, silently pleading for a connection. When none appeared, she called out to him instead. With still no answer, Zelda finally risked a glimpse down at the injured warrior slumped against her shoulder. It felt like her heart had jumped into her throat when she realized his face had gone completely white. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was shallow.

"_Answer_ _me_, Link," she breathed, ripping her eyes away to assess their position. His head lolled in the crook of her neck in tune with Epona's strides, though no other sign of movement was given. Steeling herself, Zelda tried again. '_You didn't give up on me for all those months, and I'm not going to give up on you. _Please_, Link, _answer me!' As if wading through a flowing river of sand, Zelda's thoughts attempted a sluggish trek towards his, though it was nearly impossible to make any progress. Several more attempts to make contact were met with failure. Link's mind was simply too swirled and unfocused – a stable connection was impossible.

After hours of galloping through Hyrule Field in the rain, Zelda's weary eyes caught sight of an ashen structure up ahead. With a gasp of relief, she guided Epona towards it; seconds later, they followed a path lying between what now appeared to be a low granite wall. Just ahead of them sat a small cathedral, bleak and foreboding in the rain. Stone pillars rose on either side of the large oak doors and an emblem of the Triforce rested in the blue-tinged glass window above. Without hesitation, Zelda steered Epona to the entrance, and with a fierce strike of her hooves the doors burst open. To great relief, a quick internal sweep of the sanctuary revealed that it was empty, though many windows and pillars had been damaged sometime prior. A thick layer of dust and rubble covered most of the floor.

Her mind on high alert again, Zelda lowered Link to the cleanest area she could find before quickly returning to close the double doors. Dropping a wooden beam into place inside the lock, she then quickly returned to where Link lay unconscious, Epona softly nudging at his temple.

"It's ok Epona," she reassured, giving a quick pat to the bridge of her nose. "You were excellent out there; Link couldn't ask for a better horse." Using her muzzle to bump the princess's hand affectionately, Epona then trotted off a distance and began to scour through the debris. Zelda immediately checked Link's temperature again. His skin was clammy and fevered, and carefully she wiped his damp bangs aside. "Link?" she tried again, though his face was unresponsive. She then checked the damage to his leg, silently praying that it had not progressed, before prying apart the sodden tunic clinging to him. Like her, his clothes were completely soaked through, posing a further threat to his already feeble condition.

"Epona," she called, prompting the horse over. She retrieved some dry fabric from the saddle bag and set about drying his neck and face, then quickly worked at undoing the clasps of his undershirt. She had barely begun before a horrible gasp escaped her lips – shadowy scars were seared across his chest, mere inches from his heart. She pried open the remainder of the shirt, revealing deeper wounds along his abdomen. The spread was even worse than she thought.

"Link," she whispered again, fighting back tears. Her hands moved to cradle either side of his temple, trembling slightly as she extended her thoughts to him. As before, there was no response. "_Please_…_!_" There was desperation in her voice now, and as if hoping it may strengthen her chances, she pressed her forehead directly to his and searched with all her might. Unnoticed, a single tear slid from her chin and trailed down his pale cheek. If only there was some indication that he'd heard her, _anything_…

Zelda's mind became clouded as a sudden figure began to appear in her mind, foggy and distorted though growing steadily clearer.

"_Zelda…_" a hazy voice called, though it was so disconnected that she could barely make it out. It was almost like listening to someone speak underwater. Slowly, however, the voice and silhouette became clearer. "_Zelda…!_"

She opened her eyes to the fog, finding herself suspended in an undulating grey abyss. Her temple was pricking slightly, though all thoughts of it quickly faded at the sight of a young woman standing a short way in front of her. Strawberry-blonde hair descended in waves around her shoulders, obscuring a pair of pointed ears and triangular earrings. She was gowned in fuchsia robes that descended to the floor in elegant waves, while Hyrulean regalia accented her shoulders, forehead, and waist. Carrying her gaze to the woman's face, Zelda's eyes widened as she met the cerulean irises that reflected her own.

"_Not quite who you were expecting_," the woman stated softly, reading Zelda's expression. Her face was lined with concern, though she spared a small smile for the princess. At her words, recognition flooded back to Zelda.

"You're…my predecessor, aren't you?" she asked, not really needing an answer. "The one I spoke to in the castle chambers." The translucent figure nodded.

"_I know what has happened_," she continued, her voice now quick. "_As you remember, the last time we spoke you awakened your power of telepathy _-"

"- Yes, I tried that but it didn't work! Link didn't respo -"

"- _I know_," she answered again, her tone calm but assertive. "_But that is not the only power you possess. We who bear the Triforce of Wisdom are also granted great powers of healing. If you can awaken your ability, you may be able to save Link. Come." _

The other Zelda turned and began to move away, prompting the present Zelda to fall in step behind her. With a feeling of passing through a wall of cool air, they stepped into another expanse of billowing grey. They walked hurriedly for a while longer before the young princess let out a gasp of shock and relief. Standing in a glaze a short distance ahead was a lean figure, tall and green-clad. Zelda ran forward, though her companion continued at a walking pace. Before she fully reached the masculine figure, however, Zelda stopped short. Though his appearance was strikingly similar to that of Link's, there were slight discrepancies that separated the two. The man before her was staring off at something on the ground, though finally he turned his gaze towards her, looking grim. Her predecessor joined the young man's side, and following their eyes, Zelda glanced down at the floor beside him. Her breath hitched.

"Link!"

As before, the Link she knew was lying sprawled on the floor, head lolled to the side and clearly still injured. Unlike before, however, his face was now contorted in silent pain.

"He's awake!" Zelda breathed, stepping forward to kneel at his side. Her hand trailed his cheek, and to her great relief, he turned towards it, face still wincing.

"_This is his consciousness,_" the other man spoke up, catching Zelda's eye. "_You should be able to form a solid connection now, though he can't fight for much longer. Use this time to heal him._"

"You are…" Zelda began, but he raised an interjecting hand.

"_Never mind, there's no time. Quickly._"

Zelda turned once again to Link, whose head now jerked side to side in bouts of pain. Grasping the hand he clutched at his chest, she pulled it back to reveal his seared torso. She could see it growing, wrapping its tentacle-like arms further and further along. It no longer looked like smoke now, but seemed to have condensed into a solid object. Without thought, Zelda's hands plummeted forward, seizing its body in an iron grip. The thing began to squeal and struggle, but the princess ignored it and determinedly closed her eyes. She thought instead of Link's wounded body, willing with every ounce of her being for it to be restored. Without her notice, their past incarnations slowly faded away, and now she was back in the sanctuary, fighting fiercely against the rolling mass in her hands. She didn't dare break the shred of a connection that remained between her and Link, and with enormous concentration she fought against the stinging sensation beginning to seep into her skin.

'_HEAL him,'_ she urged, grasping the constraints tighter. Her surroundings were beginning to go fuzzy. The connection flickered. The thing between her fingers was beginning to return to fog, hissing madly as it burned. She could feel a swimming sensation somewhere in the back of her head, accompanied by a faint glow, and against her will her eyelids began to droop. "_Please_," she whispered out, to Link or anyone who would listen. There was a burst of light, a curdling scream, and then all else faded to black.

* * *

Sounds of clashing metal echoed harshly through the air while violent flames scorched about. Amidst the centre of the chaos, two figures were locked in combat, striking at each other fiercely. One of them was small but quick, a green flash that darted madly around his opponent. The other, a towering, massive figure that sent shivers through the earth whenever his sword hit the ground.

"_Not good enough – NOT GOOD ENOUGH!_" the second man bellowed, eyes dancing wildly as a twisted grin stretched his cheeks. "_You'll have to try harder than that if you wish to defeat me!_" He swung again, his blade narrowly missing the warrior below. Link's figure slammed backwards into the ground, though a second later he was back up on his feet. Master Sword gleaming in hand, he readied a stance before shooting forward, raising his arm in rapid strike. The blade barely nicked his opponent's cheek as the larger man craned back. He looked unconcerned as a small dribble of blood slid down his rough, olive skin. "_You're the last one,_" he continued, swiping again; the young man barely dodged. "_The last piece, and then the ultimate power shall be mine!_" There was an angered cry from Link, but the man deflected his strike easily.

"_The Triforce will never be yours!_" Link cried fiercely, lifting his own shield to parry an attack. The towering man simply laughed, his crimson hair flying wildly. A distance away from them, Zelda was watching with bow and arrow raised. They were too close together to get a clear shot in, no matter how good her aim was. Still she waited at the ready, pleading that a chance to strike would come. She tried not to focus on how Link's reactions were getting slower and slower by the second.

"_Foolish boy!_" Ganondorf sneered, and with a loud clang their weapons collided. Glinting metal suddenly flashed in the air as the Master Sword flew spinning from Link's hand. It clattered to the ground a few meters away. Now panicked, Link dove after it and managed to secure a grip around its handle, flinging himself around to strike once again at Ganondorf. There was a pained cry an instant later, followed by an audible thud on the ground. For a moment, everything fell silent – and then –

"_NOOO!_" Zelda's bow fell to the ground in a clatter, arrows scattering at her feet as she raced towards them. She had no eyes for Ganondorf, only the crumbled figure lying in the soil. "_Link! LINK!_" Sobs wracked her breath as she drew his head into her lap, a familiar look of pain etched onto his face as his body lay broken and bleeding.

"_Z-Zelda…_" he whispered, his clenched eyes opening to meet her gaze. The fingers of his left hand encased her nearest arm, while his right hand clutched the ripped fabric at the side of his tunic. There was blood, so much blood…

"_It's ok, it's ok, I'll heal you,_" she murmured tenderly, tears still streaming from her eyes as she moved to pull the hand away.

"_How touching,_" Ganondorf observed, a mocking smile plastered on his face. "_Though I must count myself disappointed, I expected so much more. Then again, you weasels have been more trouble than you're worth, so it won't grieve me to dispose of you. I'll grant you the honour of dying together!_" He raised an arm into the air, gleaming sword at the ready.

"_Zelda - !_" Link groaned, a shaking hand reaching for her in desperation. Her eyes darted back to the blade, which was now swinging down towards them in a swift blur.

* * *

"Zelda! _Zelda!_" His voice echoed over and over, resonating with images of gleaming blades and stained red still etched in her mind. With a jolt, Zelda's eyes flew open as she regained awareness of her surroundings. Brilliant sapphire spheres blinked down at her, alarmed in appearance beneath a thick veil of blonde. Comprehension dawning, the surrounding atmosphere slowly came into focus.

Releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, Zelda slowly rose up to gaze at him. Unkempt and grimy, he stared back with an expression of concern.

She'd never felt so relieved to see those eyes.

"Link…oh, thank goodness." Her arms wrapped around his neck before he could say another word, and she leaned quietly against him in grateful silence. She pulled back a moment later to examine his exposed chest. "Are you still hurt?"

"It's gone," Link answered, referring to the absence of singed flesh along his legs and torso. Taking note of his condition, Zelda observed that the skin looked fully healed. He drew his thumb across her chin affectionately. "Thanks to you." Zelda returned his smile, but then a concerned frown tugged at his lips. Knitting his eyebrows, he eyed her seriously. "Are _you _alright Zel? When I came to, you were passed out and tossing. Nothing would wakeyou up."

Her thoughts returned to the nightmare she'd had seconds ago, flashes of Link's wounded and dying form returned anew. She shook them away quickly.

"It's nothing," she said again, hugging him once more. Trotting hooves could be heard, and a moment later Epona was at their side, whinnying and nibbling at the tip of Link's ear affectionately. Link laughed and raised a hand to pat her cheek in return.

"Thanks, Epona," he smirked, now scratching her neck. "You saved me too." There was a sudden crash of thunder then, illuminating the dark corners of the debilitated building. It was only then that Zelda realized they must have been unconscious for the remainder of the night. Though still clouded outside, a new day had clearly risen since their arrival.

"Where are we?" Link asked with sudden interest, looking around the interior. Though he prided himself on being well-traveled in Hyrule, this place did not look familiar.

"The Sanctuary," Zelda answered, following his eyes to the stained glass windows above. "This was the only place I could think to come." Reluctantly, thoughts of Kokiri Forest and their fallen comrades came flooding back, leaving a dismal silence in their wake.

"It's my fault," Link whispered finally, his hands clenched against his knees. "I took too long." He took notice of the sad expression that crossed Zelda's face at these words, her brimming eyes moving away to look at the ground.

"It's my fault too…I was so happy being with them that it distracted me from the task ahead. I let my feelings interfere with my duty." A moment later, she raised a surreptitious finger to wipe at her cheek. Absently, Link removed a ceramic figurine from his pouch, taking a moment to reflect its cerulean hues in the dim light. He'd felt remorse before. More times than he'd like to remember. But not like this.

"We should have left sooner," he spoke again. "If Ganondorf had known we were somewhere else, then maybe they would have been spared…" Thoughts of Saria's cheerful presence now flooded his mind, the only real consolation he'd had during those long months apart from Zelda, a kind smile to encourage him when all else seemed lost. Link felt his throat tighten suddenly and quickly stowed the ocarina in his bag. _Had he been a coward to run away?_

"I don't think so," Zelda answered after a moment, her voice a bit thicker than usual. "He would have targeted them eventually. His only mercy is for the Gerudo." Traces of anger suddenly filled her face. "It's unforgiveable all the same." She stood up and began to pace through the rubble, scuffling along as she made her way to the nearest wall.

"What are you doing?" Link asked, following her progression through the debris.

"There's a passage in here that leads to the castle," she answered shortly, adopting the voice that she often used when on a mission. "At least, that's what the priest told me when I was a little girl. I never found out where exactly it is." Her fingers trailed the stone slabs along the wall, tracing their outline block by block in hopes of finding a weak spot. "Do you mind checking over there?" she asked after a minute, still absorbed with the task in front of her. Link looked at the space around him, uncertain of where she had meant, then shrugged to himself before deciding on the opposite wall. Following her lead, he traced the contours of the stone or pressed against them randomly in hopes that a passage might suddenly appear, though it quickly proved to be a fruitless search.

Sighing lightly, Link stopped when he came across a shattered window. As he looked out through the broken framework at the rain, his mind inevitably wandered to fallen friends and comrades. Despite everything they'd planned and prepared for, Ganondorf had still managed to get through. They'd been helpless. The Hyrulean army, the inhabitants of Castle Town, the Kokiri – everyone. '_Even me_,' Link thought bitterly, a shadow falling over his features as he looked out across the bleak landscape.

A soft _chink_ echoed suddenly, drawing Link's attention to the ground. He drew his foot back to reveal an array of stained glass, broken and scattered amidst the rubble on the dusty floor below. Curious, Link leaned down beside the fragments to inspect them. Some pieces were so small or damaged that it was impossible determine their features, however several chunks were large enough to preserve their engravings. Link's gaze was immediately drawn to a portion of forest green slightly to the left of him, and carefully he brushed away the smaller shards surrounding it. Bordering the green was a patch of golden-yellow that continued into a chipped edge. Link blinked in surprise when he caught side of another chunk next to the first, where a vivid eye stared back at him from its pale background of fleshy peach. The eye was focused and determined, and though drawn to it, Link felt the overwhelming desire to look away. His gaze instead fell on a patch of blue, which he immediately recognized as a hilt. A swell of courage that he did not understand rose in him, and as if reacting to the image, the Master Sword began to resonate from its sheath. Link instinctively reached back to grip the sword, surprised by its abrupt awakening and the sudden throbbing that filled his left hand. He'd felt a similar sensation in the throngs of battle before – the blade was asking to be drawn.

Link snapped from his reverie at the sound of dragging stone and threw a quick glace back over his shoulder. Across the room, Zelda motioned for him to join her at the front of the church, where there sat a deteriorating altar in the shape of a golden bird. With Link's help, the two heaved the slab sideways along the wall to reveal a dark passageway.

"I'd say we found it," Zelda commented after they'd finished clearing the entrance. They couldn't help but notice the distinct chill that emanated from the doorway. Everything beyond its frame was encased in black.

Link felt his sword resonate again, and turning to Epona, he began to rummage through one of her many saddlebags. Perplexed, Zelda watched him but said nothing as he searched for a short while, then startled when he suddenly whooped in what could only be victory. Beaming, Link blinked back at her with a goofy smile plastered on his face, lifting his arm to reveal a battered lamp that had probably weathered a few too many journeys. Link seemed to remember something then and turned back towards the pouch. His hand searched a little deeper before emerging again with several vials of oil, which he proceeded to pocket.

"Thought that might come in handy," he said happily, seemingly pleased with his own resourcefulness. Zelda was on the brink of asking what else he had managed to stash away, however she stopped when Link's suddenly-serious eyes moved towards her. "It's time." She nodded and moved to join him at the passage entrance.

"See you, Epona," he commented softly, turning to meet the mare's prying gaze. "I'm afraid you have to sit this one out." She gave several indignant snorts and pawed at the floor to signify her displeasure at this remark, however Link could only chuckle as she shot puffs of air from her nose. Raising a comforting arm to her neck, he gently touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes as she began to quiet down. "I know, girl, I know. I wish you could come too. I always feel a little lost without you."

There was a moment of stillness between them, then Epona nickered softly and began to nuzzle at his head with her snout. Link laughed and hugged her neck tighter in one final embrace before pulling away, grinning at the horse with a knowing smile.

"Of all the women in my life, I think you fuss over me the most." Epona seemed to roll her eyes at this, as did Zelda, after which the horse stepped back and grunted with a toss of her neck, signaling that they were finally free to go. Link nodded once, then turning to take hold of Zelda's hand, stepped wordlessly into the dark passageway.

The chill they had sensed earlier grew exponentially, and after taking a brief moment to gain bearing of their surroundings, the pair found themselves in the sewers of the castle. Damp and rank, there was little more to the passageway than stone paths and shallow waterways. Link raised his lantern in a feeble attempt to light the narrow corridor, and in the process revealed thousands of pairs of gleaming eyes that had previously been hidden. Link swallowed hard and felt Zelda inch a little closer to him, though they continued moving forward along the underground path.

As they travelled deeper into the passageway, the darkness seemed to only thicken despite Link's repeated attempts to illuminate their surroundings. He lit the lamp more and more frequently, to no effect. More strange was that the lantern now cast weird shadows against the stone walls and watery floors, adding to the budding sense of unease. Link thought he began to see familiar figures in them, however the images would fade almost as soon as they began.

"Link?" Zelda asked, wondering why his grip had become so tight around her hand.

'_Coward,_' a new voice seemed to chime in somewhere behind her, a low, accusing whisper that could barely be heard.

'_Coward!' _another joined in more fiercely, causing Link to halt and glance around. Just like the phantom shadows, the voices slipped into the darkness just before Link could ever manage to identify them. Shaking his head, they began to move forward again in the eerie silence, though it did not take long before the voices began their whispering assault anew. Splashing water and the sound of scurrying mice feet did not help as Link tried to focus on the path ahead rather than their accusing words. Among them, he could swear he heard the Hyrulian general expressing disappointment over what had become of his favoured pupil. King Daedalus seemed to watch grimly from the sidelines, remaining silent but disdainful. Mido was there too, loudly complaining that Link had always been a failure, while several laughing Kokiri joined in with him. Link felt sick. This was just cruel.

"Never satisfied…" he muttered darkly, fighting away the vicious thoughts. As they rounded a corner, a sudden bell-like voice rang out to him.

'_Why did you abandon us, Link?_'

His breath hitched, and he came to an immediate stop. A portion of Saria's outline emerged from the shadows, raising one small, delicate hand to reach for him.

'_Why couldn't you save us? Why did you run away?'_

"I didn't want to!" Link choked, caught between guilt and conviction. "I wanted to save you! There's nothing I could -"

'_You didn't even try!' _Saria screamed, emotion cracking in her voice. '_You just left us there to die! Even though we were completely defenceless, you abandoned us to save your own skin. You coward!'_

"NO!" Link urged back, now clearly frightened by the shadows closing in around him. He clamped his eyes shut and tried to cover his ears, but the mass of accusations only seemed to grow louder. Just when he thought his mind was on the verge of splitting, a soft hand reached out to touch his face. The voices cleared, and Zelda stood calmly before him, cupping her hands around each side of his temple.

"They're not real," she spoke softly, her words stern but steady. "Ganondorf knows we're here. These figments are meant to torment our emotional vulnerabilities, but they're not real, Link. He's testing us."

As Link focused on her, the irregular shadows disappeared almost immediately, returning to their original state. He swallowed hard and allowed his head to clear, finally offering a small smile to the princess. She smiled back. It was times like these when her wisdom always shone through.

"You're right." His voice was a little unsteady, but he straightened again to his regular height. "I'm ok now. Let's keep going."

* * *

The remaining trek through the sewers was uneventful once the shadows quieted down; likewise, the chill seemed to have lifted considerably, and Link could only assume that they were getting close. This was confirmed moments later as they reached a tapered dead end, at the end of which was a hollowed out frame. Something bulky was plainly blocking the entrance, and after observing the inlet for a moment Link pressed a testing hand against it. There was a slight shift, sending a spew of dust and rubble cascading to the ground, and then using both hands, Link managed to urge the block forward. With Zelda's help, they then shifted it sideways, sending light flooding into the tunnel behind them. It took their eyes a moment to acclimate, though before long they found themselves standing at the front of the throne room of Hyrule Castle.

"Well, well, _well_," a low, rich voice slowly resonated nearby at their arrival, giving off an air of both excitement and impatience. "I wondered how much longer you'd keep me waiting."

Link and Zelda simultaneously glanced towards one side of the throne room, where Ganondorf had apparently been gazing out a window, arms folded behind his back. "I was afraid you might not show up after my welcoming reception in the sewers, though I'm pleased to see that you accepted my invitation."

Link said nothing and only glared as Ganondorf turned to move towards them in smooth, deliberate strides that echoed loudly throughout the chambers. Seemingly disappointed at Link's lack of response, he shifted his eyes to rest on Zelda instead.

"I imagine it must be hard for you to be here again," he began, careful to never break eye contact with the princess. "Your last memories of this place must still be painful." Despite her best efforts, Zelda's eyes glanced involuntarily to the base of the stairs below the throne pedestal, where they froze on a stained portion of tile only a few feet from where Ganondorf stood. He followed her gaze with a disheartened sigh. "I hope you won't think me insensitive. I just kept it as a little reminder of what happens to those who think they can oppose me." Zelda's furious, watery eyes immediately tore away from the floor to glare at Ganondorf with as much loathing as she could muster, earning a satisfied smirk from the man.

"Enough with your taunts," Link growled in irritation, having no patience for the Gerudo's games. "Let's get this over with."

"So, have you come to surrender the final piece of the Triforce?" Ganondorf mused, directing his gaze once again to the young Hylian man. There was a metallic clang as Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath, brandishing it forward at full length so that its tip was aimed directly at Ganondorf.

"We've come to fight!"

There was booming laughter that filled the room, loud and hollow against the arching walls. As it faded, Ganondorf threw them a look somewhere between pity and amusement.

"There's nothing left for you to fight for," he jeered, casting his arms out in a sweeping gesture. "There's nothing left to save!" Link's hands instinctively tightened both around Zelda's fingers and the hilt of the Master Sword, though he remained silent for a moment. Finally, his quiet voice spoke up.

"There's only one thing I want to know, Ganondorf," he said, seeming to pique the man's interest, "Tell me why you did all this. I want an explanation!"

"Why? So you can try to _understand_ me?" he mocked, entertained by the thought.

"No," Link said coldly, his narrowed eyes piercing. "I already understand. Men like you act out of greed and their obsession with power. And you only get that feeling of power when you oppress the likes of those around you, crushing them under the sole of your selfish ambition! I want you to explain it to me," Link continued, now seething, "so that when I hear how you try to justify the deaths of my friends and countrymen, there is not a doubt left in my mind that it is my duty to eliminate you from this world. Because no matter what answer you give, Ganondorf, it will never be enough!"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," the Gerudo sighed, sounding bored, "a weak child like you who has no idea of the potential that comes through wielding a fully-realized Triforce."

"A power I assure you shall never be granted," Link answered, raising his own glowing Triforce in a blunt display of defiance. Without further delay, the warrior readied his sword for attack and shot down the steps in an impressive burst of speed. Without missing a beat, Ganondorf drew a heavy blade from his side and raised it to meet Link's, sending sparks flying as the edges scraped together. They pushed each other back and repeated the swings again, attacking at different angles in an attempt to breach an opening.

"Well trained," Ganondorf quipped, parrying more blows with reflexive ease, "I can see why you earned the captain's favour." He swung again, this time delivering an effective blow that sent Link staggering back a few feet. "But it's no match for my brute strength!" Link steadied himself once more and lunged forward, driving his blade hard against the hilt of his opponent's. Again Ganondorf pushed him away, then without warning lifted a glowing hand towards the warrior. A sizzling burst of energy burst from his palm and flew at Link, who barely managed to react in time. With a wild swing of the Master Sword, the blade and magic collided, rebounding the blast back at Ganondorf. He growled in pain as it impacted his chest, toppling the large man backward onto the floor. Link dove forward to deliver another blow, but before he could strike, a second blast shot forward. Link was caught unprepared this time and flew back with a yell as the electrifying blast hit him full-force. He slammed into the ground and remained there momentarily, winded by its impact. His opponent, now recovered, grinned wickedly as he raised his broad blade, ready to plunge.

There was the briefest _whizzing_ sound, followed by a howl of pain that sent Ganondorf staggering back. Confused, Link glanced up just in time to see a second arrow pierce through the Gerudo's armour. A third arrow followed and bounced uselessly off his chest plate. Link then turned to glance back at the throne platform, where Zelda was taking aim once more. With a _twang _she released the bowstring, sending the fourth arrow to fly squarely into the crook of Ganondorf's shoulder blade. Despite the blows, his hefty form was still able to function easily, and once he recovered enough to attack again, he sent an energy ball blasting towards Zelda. The princess dodged easily, however the force continued past her, landing amidst some drapes and instantly setting flame to the fabric.

"I also tire of these games," Ganondorf seethed, ripping out the wooden shafts before tossing them aside casually. The growing flames seemed to reflect back in his own eyes, now wide and angry. Link was back on his feet, ready to begin their duel anew. Zelda was aware of the growing heat around her, but watched anxiously as they met again and again in endless blows. With her arm at the ready, she waited for another chance to strike, but it did not seem to come. Link and Ganondorf were so entangled in combat that it was impossible to find a safe opening. As the fight continued, Ganondorf seemed to grow more and more enraged as his strikes grew fiercer.

"Not good enough – _NOT GOOD ENOUGH!_" he bellowed, eyes dancing wildly as a twisted grin stretched his cheeks. "You'll have to try harder than that if you wish to defeat me!"

Zelda frowned at these words, feeling an uneasy sensation rise within her...

"The Triforce will never be yours!" Link cried fiercely, lifting his own shield to parry an attack. Despite his speed and agility, Zelda couldn't help but notice that he was beginning to slow down…

"Foolish boy!" Ganondorf sneered, and with a loud clang their weapons collided. Glinting metal suddenly flashed in the air as the Master Sword flew spinning from Link's hand before clattering to the ground a few meters away. Realization slammed into Zelda as she watched her vision from the Sanctuary unfold, knowing what would come next and completely unable to stop it. An instant later, there was a pained cry and Link crumpled to the ground.

"_NOOO!"_ Zelda screamed as his broken figure struggled slightly then stilled. Her bow and arrows scattered about her as she ran to him, falling to her knees beside the bleeding man.

"Z-Zelda…" he whispered, deep pain etched in his voice as he clutched a shaking hand to the wound. Tears brimmed in Zelda's eyes as she tried not to focus on how pale he was becoming. How could she have failed to recognize the nightmare for a vision?! Laying her own hand atop the wound, she silently began to pray a soft incantation under her breath.

"How touching," Ganondorf observed, a mocking smile plastered on his face. "Though I must count myself disappointed, I expected so much more. Then again, you weasels have been more trouble than you're worth, so it won't grieve me to dispose of you. I'll grant you the honour of dying together!"

Time seemed to flow in slow motion to Zelda as she watched the mighty sword being drawn above them. Link was reaching up for her, eyes pained and desperate, and in a swift blur the blade fell. Using her body to shield the injured man in her arms, Zelda's eyes clamped shut and all became black.

Silence followed, and Zelda wondered if perhaps she were dead, though her eyes remained closed. It was only when she heard an infuriated cry that they blinked open, revealing the source of Ganondorf's frustration. To her amazement, a glowing white light had formed a semi-circular barrier around her and Link; Ganondorf's blade was wedged against the outer edge of the barrier, effectively deflecting the sword and depriving the Gerudo of his victory. Light emanated from her hand to fuel the blockade, converging with a blue light streaming from the hilt of the Master Sword. Link's own glowing hand was wrapped around the grip, steady and strong once again.

"You still had a piece of your Triforce?" Ganondorf's disbelieving voice shook for the first time as he struggled to pull his blade away. A new fury could be seen stirring in his eyes, watching the white light being emitted around them with a mixture of loathing and desire that added to his already-manic features.

His gaze flew to Link when the warrior stirred, head lowered and kneeling before the Master Sword. He clung to the blade as if his life depended on it, and with shock the Gerudo man noticed that the boy's wound had largely healed. "Persistent rat," he shot fiercely. Without warning, the barrier suddenly shattered, scattering shards of blue and white glass in every direction. Ganondorf's sword jerked free, but the suddenness of the burst sent him staggering backwards in a confused daze. Standing slowly, Link's piercing blue eyes rose to meet him, swimming with a fury of their own.

"Yes, I may be stubborn," he started a bit shakily, leaning heavily on the Master Sword for support, "perhaps foolishly so…but I never give up on my convictions! And I never stop protecting the things that I cherish! That is the burden given to those who wield the Triforce of Courage, a burden I bear gladly!"

As he spoke, the words seemed to strengthen him, drawing the warrior up to his full height. Almost immediately after, a burst of blue energy erupted from the Master Sword, sending waves of power rippling into the air around him. Link glanced down at the sword in amazement, his face and features bathed in the cerulean light, while a familiar vibration could be felt ringing through the hilt of the blade.

'_Your sword has heard you,' _a male voice spoke out from the recesses of his conscious. _'It has reacted to your bravery – the blade is at full power. Go, now! The Master Sword will guide you!'_

Link responded by raising the blade skyward before him, sending torrents of swirling energy up into the air. As the power swelled, the Hylian's eyes shifted to face his enemy, his expression focused and steady. Ganondorf couldn't help but squirm under the man's gaze, suddenly aware of how piercing his eyes had become. The Gerudo was suddenly overtaken by an overwhelming feeling of dread. _Where had he seen that look before?_

"You don't know when to quit!" he breathed, stepping back ever so slightly. Link's only response was to lower the sword into a striking stance, lips frowned and eyes glaring. Ganondorf ripped his gaze away to look at Zelda, only to find a similar expression etched in her features. An unexpected mixture of fear and hatred bubbled up within him, and he retreated further. _Damn those eyes!_

"Don't look at me like that!" he growled, lifting his sword to the ready. With a prick of horror, however, he realized the slight tremble of his arms. _'What is this?' _he thought frantically, willing the arms to still. _'What's going on?'_

'_You know that you will lose.' _A foreign voice drifted into his mind, alarming Ganondorf more than ever before. His focus switched to the faint glow emanating off his right hand, where two triangular shapes appeared through his gauntlet. The lower left one, not quite the shape of a full triangle, seemed to be fluttering softly as the words spoke. _'You fear in the face of imminent loss. You know you cannot win.'_

"LIES!" Ganondorf spat, his face contorting in rage at the mark. "I AM THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD! NOTHING STANDS IN MY WAY!"

'_The shred of wisdom that you hold tells you otherwise – your anger is nothing more than a mask for your fear. You cannot win this fight.'_

"_**Then I have no need for your wisdom!**__" _Ganondorf roared, outrage consuming every fibre of his being. A massive wave of electric energy suddenly flew out in an expanding circle around him. Chunks of marble shot out of the cracked ground beneath his feat, and above the ceiling began to shake dangerously. Cackling madly, Ganondorf threw his arms wide in offering – _this _is what he had hungered for!

The lightning-like energy suddenly converged and rose high into the air to form a singular, pointed tip that descended swiftly into Ganondorf's chest. Contorting backwards from the force of the impact, Ganondorf's eyes rolled about madly as his form twitched uncontrollably. Despite the apparent pain that it was causing him, a crazed smile was plastered broadly across his face. There was a final swell of electricity, and then the Gerudo man straightened, eyes wild and hair flying. He flexed his arms experimentally, no longer shaking as the new energy flowed through his veins. "**This is it!**" he exclaimed, smiling at the Hylians before him victoriously. "**Now I am unbeatable!**"

"You don't have the power to defeat us," Link spoke quietly, unphased by the change. Ganondorf's smirk contorted into a scowl, and yelling fiercely, he threw his arms up into the air.

"**YOU HAVE NOT SEEN TRUE POWER!**"

A massive swirl of golden energy consumed the area surrounding Ganondorf, blasting waves so fierce that large chunks of the ceiling collapsed to the floor around them. Zelda immediately reacted by creating a barrier around her and Link, though it was clear that she struggled under the force of their weight. As she willed magic to flow through her shaking arms, a sudden surge of warmth eased into her, instantly solidifying the barrier. Link noticed this change and looked at Zelda pointedly.

"It's back," she confirmed breathlessly, eyes still focused on the swirling mass of energy before them. "Ganondorf no longer holds the Triforce of Wisdom." There was a high-pitched squealing that suddenly filled the room, causing Link and Zelda to flinch in pain. The energy field grew even larger before dissipating violently to reveal a towering, beastly form. Colossal in both size and bulk, what stood before them now could only be described as a monster.

"Ganon…!" Link breathed, something deep within him reacting instinctively to the creature.

"_We meet again, hero…_" Its very voice seemed to send tremors through the ground, deep and raspy in tone that reflected the ancient magic behind it.

"For the last time," Link answered, lifting the Master Sword once more. Everything around him screamed at him to be afraid – but Link's mind was clear. He was ready. "You know what to do, Zel?" he asked quietly, eyes still fixed forward.

"Yes," she answered with a nod, lowering her arms to dispel the barrier.

"Be careful," he said.

"You too."

A blurred mixture of green and blue shot forward without further delay, leaping skillfully between the pieces of collapsed ceiling. The Hyrulean princess watched his retreating form for a brief moment before bowing her head to rest against her entwined fingers. With her arrows buried beneath the rubble, she had only one weapon left.

'_Bestower of Wisdom, please lend me your strength,' _she prayed silently, tuning out her external senses to focus her mind inward. _'Help us to seal this great evil away!'_ There was a sudden air of warmth that enveloped her, circling in gentle waves about the princess. Zelda breathed it in softly, letting it flow over every portion of her being. She felt it concentrate suddenly in front of her, and opening her eyes, watched as it swirled together to form a glowing mass above her hands. The light extended slowly, thinning horizontally until it formed a porcelain shaft. The light grew once more, and when it cleared, an elaborate arrow was seated firmly in Zelda's hands. The woman admired it momentarily, tracing her fingers over the intricate details etched in its form, then raised her gaze towards the unfolding battle a distance away.

'_I have one shot,_' she thought, eyes following the green blur dashing about the battlefield. _'It's up to you until then.'_

* * *

The duel between Link and Ganon had reached fierce proportions. Both bled openly and had managed to inflict serious wounds on each other, however the tone of the battle was clearly different than before. Though battered and bruised, Link continued on with a seemingly-endless supply of strength. There was no struggle, no hesitation. His strikes were crisp and clear. Ganon, however, had become increasingly desperate in his rage. His moves were frenzied and reckless, leaving him vulnerable to attack. As the beast lunged forward for the utmost time, Link swiftly dodged and delivered an impressive blow to the back of his leg, causing the creature to squeal out in pain.

"**I…will…not…**_**lose**_**…!" **It spun around with a fierce strike, its massive blade sweeping along the ground with enough force to knock over a building. Link flipped backwards to avoid the blow, immediately lunging forward once the way was clear for attack. Sensing an opening, he dashed forward and plunged the Master Sword into the beast's side, prompting it to cry out in anguish. Ganon fell to the ground with a resounding crash, and with some difficulty Link pried his blade from the monster's flank.

"_Now, _Zelda!" he cried, retreating back momentarily as the princess readied her bow. Instantly she released the sacred arrow, sending it directly to the site of Link's previous wound. Ganon screamed in unbearable agony as holy light erupted into its flesh, embedding itself in rope-like coils around its body. It thrashed about madly, though the binds remained steadily fixed.

"His power is sealed!" Zelda shouted out from her position across the battlefield. "Link, do it now!"

Following her heed, Link wordlessly lifted the blade's winged hilt to his forehead and closed his eyes in silent prayer. Immediately he sensed a shiver resound throughout the blade, spreading in turn to the warrior's body. Hoisting the blade skyward, a wave of blue energy erupted around the sword with a bright flash, culminating to form a brilliant cerulean beam around the metal's edge. Sensing the power reach its peak, Link shot forward with the fiercest strength that he could muster.

"_HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_"

The blade pierced through the creature's chest with ease, embedding itself deep within the behemoth's heart. It recoiled in pain, emitting a terrible screech that sent both Link and Zelda to their knees. Blue light erupted in bursts from the site of the wound, while Ganon clawed helplessly at the blade. It proved useless, as moments later the last of its strength waned, and the monster fell backwards to the ground with a clash. Wheezing and twitching, there was a pause before golden light surrounded its body once more, and when it cleared, the crippled Gerudo king lay defeated on the ground.

Link and Zelda made their way over slowly, finally stopping when they reached the dying man. His breathing was irregular, coming in odd gasps, and spurts of blood regularly accompanied his coughing fits.

"Come to…finish the job…?" he cackled with a disgusted smirk, glaring up at them with rebellious indignation.

"You brought this upon yourself," Link said, his tone reserved. "One must have an equal balance of power, wisdom, and courage in order to receive the completed Triforce. In utilizing the Triforce of Power to reach your beast form, you ensured that you would never obtain the finalized artifact. It's no wonder the Triforce of Wisdom rejected you and returned to Zelda."

Ganondorf scoffed once before drifting his gaze to the open sky above.

"Once again, I was unable to attain the true power of a Gerudo King…I could not surpass the failures of my past incarnations…I thought that by gaining power, I could break the cycle of this accursed destiny…"

"Power poorly wielded can only lead to destruction," Zelda said softly. Ganondorf's eyes squinted with pain and remorse as he gazed up at the drifting sky, lamenting his fate.

"This is but a small victory," he spoke, his voice much quieter now. "I will reincarnate time and time again, in the continuing cycle…and one day," he continued, his tone brimming with both determination and conviction, "I will finally reach my goal…"

"Have you forgotten the past, Ganondorf?" Link looked down at the man with disdain, his blue eyes stern and piercing. "For every evil that has ever touched this land, a hero has always risen to defeat it. Even if we meet again in a future life, the result will always be the same."

"Destiny, eh…?" Ganondorf's eyes softened, fluttering now as they fought to stay open. For the first time, a sad, conceding smile graced his features. "Mine truly is…a cursed fate…"

"I won't pity you," Link muttered quietly as he looked on, earning an ironic chuckle from Ganondorf.

"That's how it should be…"

In the following silence, the Gerudo's eyes closed, and the final remnants of his Triforce faded away. Link and Zelda stood motionless for a while, observing the still form before Link finally stepped forward to pull the blade free. Once the Master Sword had been removed, the Gerudo's body began to dissolve, scattering as it was carried off by a soft wind over the shambled remnants of Hyrule Castle. At last, Link and Zelda turned to face each other.

"It's finally over…" Zelda said, looking up into the tired face of the man beside her. He offered a tiny smile, and the two met in a tight embrace. Though both were relieved, the air about them was anything but happy. The force of everything that had happened weighed heavy; Hyrule was still in ruin. They were all that was left.

They held each other for a long time. It didn't seem real, that they'd really managed to survive. What were they to do from here? Once they pulled apart, Link looked out across the landscape mournfully. Somehow the victory felt hollow. But they were alive – wasn't there still hope?

After a moment of silent contemplation, Link raised his ceramic ocarina to his lips. A sad melody echoed on the wind, carrying out into the distance. His mind turned to past friends and comrades, and as he thought his fingers played in honour of the fallen. Link wasn't sure for how long he played, but he did not stop, and Zelda did not intercede. The warrior was so preoccupied with the homage that he didn't take notice of the faint glow that had appeared behind him, and it was only at Zelda's urgent hand touching his shoulder that he snapped out of his reverie.

"Link, _look_!"

He whirled around, for a moment terrified that Ganondorf had somehow reappeared, but what he saw instead was a brilliant, shimmering light hovering in the air before them. Apprehensive, Link and Zelda eyed the object with a mixture of confusion and awe. Finally, it was Zelda who spoke first.

"Link – I think that's…!"

"The Triforce -!" he finished, unable to believe the sight before his eyes. Its bobbing form completely mesmerized him, and he felt the inexplicable draw that had enticed so many to madness in generations past.

"_You have defeated a great evil and saved this land," _a muted voice spoke out suddenly, startling them both. They glanced at each other briefly, however it continued on, drawing their attention once more. _"Only those of pure and noble heart could accomplish such a task. You have done well."_ Its light dimmed a little, retracting to only a faint glow around the edges of the artifact. _"Through your display of courage, wisdom, and power, you have_ _earned the right to call the Triforce your own. Step forward, Bearer of Courage." _

There was a hesitant silence that followed. Link's mind raced as he glanced once again to Zelda, whose face reflected a similar anxiety as his own. After a mutual, silent acknowledgement between them, Link cautiously stepped forward and reached out to the waiting Triforce. As his finger touched the edge, there was a brilliant eruption of light, and all else faded to whiteness…

* * *

Phew! That was probably the most challenging chapter I have ever done! It was definitely the most daunting to tackle and took multiple rewritings, but I think I've gotten it to a point where I'm mostly satisfied. So now the final moment has arrived! What will Link's wish to the Triforce be?!

Author Musings:

One of the things I didn't get to explore more fully in this story was Ganondorf's character. Sometimes he felt kind of bland as a villain, and I wish I would have developed more of a backstory for him, but I decided not to make it a focal point. Not sure if the story suffered for that or not :/

I tried to throw in lots of references in this chapter as well. Link to the Past and Windwaker, anyone?

Also, writing about shadow phantoms at two in the morning is not recommended.

Stay tuned for the epilogue!


	16. Epilogue

A/N: Here it is, guys - the final "chapter." It's been an amazing journey, over five years in the making, and I thank you all so much for joining me. It's been an honour being part of such a supportive community and I will certainly miss you guys. Thanks for making this such a wonderful experience!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. Yay, I don't have to say it anymore!

* * *

A pair of bright blue orbs blinked widely through their reflection in a body-length mirror situated within a large, stone room. Link was standing before the mirror and studying it carefully, leaning forward slightly as he traced over his image. His normally-tousled hair had been carefully combed in place and a crisp new uniform had replaced his worn tunic ensemble. Straightening again, Link began to fumble with the stylized clasp hanging at his neck and nervously smoothed the thin cape draped across his shoulders. He was trying desperately to ignore the growing anxiety gnawing away at his stomach, though not to much avail – sighing heavily, his shoulders relaxed and he turned a reluctant gaze to his reflection once more. What a relief it would be when this day was finally over.

A metallic glint reflecting in the glass caught the man's attention, and Link's eyes focused on the sheathed sword and shield that could be seen propped against the stone wall behind him. Sighing softer this time, he didn't turn to face the Master Sword, but only stared at its reflection.

Eight months had passed since Link stepped into the golden light.

He didn't remember much about what happened inside it, aside from being alone and surrounded by a white void. There a voice had spoken out to him, muted and intangible, and asked him to state his wish. His only thought had been for the restoration of Hyrule, and when the golden light cleared, he found himself standing next to Zelda amidst the cobblestone square of Hyrule Market.

"Link?"

The warrior snapped from his reverie at the sound of the voice, turning slightly to see Zelda making her way carefully across the room. She was robed in rich silks of periwinkle and plum that trailed in elegant folds around her, and adorning her brow and collar were embellished jewels of fine gold. A warm smile instantly crossed his face at the sight of her, earning a shy smile and a slight blush from the princess in return. Once Zelda reached his side, Link turned to face the mirror once more.

"How's it look?" he asked, the nerves returning anew.

"_Very_ handsome," Zelda replied as she straightened his collar gently. Link seemed to ease up a little and smirked at her in the mirror.

"Don't forget dashing," he added. Rolling her eyes, Zelda smirked and softly nestled her cheek to his shoulder while drawing his hand into her own. Noticing the tension in him, she began to brush his fingers soothingly.

"You ready?" she asked quietly. Link inhaled deeply as a bleak expression seemed to overshadow his features.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I never realized getting formally introduced to a kingdom would be quite this stressful." Zelda nudged him with her elbow playfully before wrapping an arm around his.

"You've faced worse."

This was true. Link's mind wandered back to the battle held with Ganon on these very grounds; it was by far the worst enemy he'd ever faced. And yet, in this moment, Link felt far more fear for the mass of Hyrulean citizens gathered outside than any he had felt for the Gerudo King.

Oddly enough, no one seemed to know what had become of Ganondorf or his followers. In fact, no one aside from Link or Zelda seemed to recall any of the events that had transpired since Ganondorf's rise to power. Link assumed that his wish had somehow nullified the memories, however it was something that neither he nor Zelda fully understood.

"I just hope they accept me," Link said finally.

"I'll be with you," she reminded, earning a grateful smile from the man beside her. A sudden knock caught their attention, and turning together, they glanced back to see the captain's head poking in through the door.

"Link, Princess Zelda, I've been asked to retrieve you – it's almost time for the ceremony to start." Link instantly tensed up again, while Zelda only smiled.

"Thank you," she said, at which the man's head disappeared once again. She spun to face Link once more, who now had an expression of full-blown panic. "Let's face this together," she said, her tone calm and confident. As she spoke, her hands wrapped around his reassuringly; Link gulped once and only nodded wordlessly.

The trek across Hyrule Castle was uneventful as apprehension for the task at hand kept them largely silent. Any half-hearted attempts at conversation quickly fell flat within two or three exchanges, so instead the two simply walked arm-in-arm, each taking comfort in the other's shared anxiety. They were nearly to the main staircase when an unexpected voice greeted them from across the room.

"Zelda!"

They turned in unison, setting sights on a man who was instantly recognizable by his vivid blue hair. Link immediately perked up, while Zelda groaned under her breath and buried her forehead in Link's shoulder. Marth hurried over with visible delight, grinning from ear to ear as he came to a stop beside them.

"What a joy to run into you here, I didn't think I'd see you until well into the evening!"

"Hello, Marth," Zelda responded with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. It was taking everything Link had in him not to snort at the blatantly disgruntled expression plastered on her face.

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" he continued eagerly, beaming at the princess. "But I was hoping I'd run in to you so I could congratulate you on your engagement. The whole kingdom is thrilled for you!" As if to cement his point, Marth took Zelda's left hand and bowed forward slightly to kiss it.

"Thank you," Zelda answered, looking drained by the formality.

"And this must be the lucky man here," Marth said, turning to face Link. "I'm certain we'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other as the respective heirs of our neighbouring kingdoms." He offered a hand, which Link promptly took. "I look forward to it."

"Oh, what a charming prince!" Link praised suddenly as they shook hands. A look somewhere between recollection and disturbance dawned on Marth's face upon hearing this, but he said nothing of it. Instead, he squinted at Link while continuing to slowly shake his hand.

"Strange," he commented, his voice seemingly unsettled. "Your face reminds me of a… certain person I met here once." Now extremely wary of Link without quite knowing why, Marth released Link's hand and quickly turned to Zelda once more. "Whatever happened to that lady-in-waiting of yours anyway, Zelda?"

It was fortunate that someone called for Marth from across the room, for at that very moment Zelda's resolve caved and she just barely managed to suppress a snort with her palm. Marth had turned away to see where the voice had originated from, and only afterwards turned back to see Link and Zelda restored to some semblance of composure.

"I don't wish to delay you any further, so I shall take my leave now, but it was a pleasure getting to speak with both of you." He bowed formally before stepping back, a cheerful smile in place. "Again, you have my deepest congratulations."

"Thank you, Marth," Zelda said, a sincere smile on her features now. The young prince inclined his head as he turned to leave, moving in slow, graceful strides across the ballroom.

"Bye, Marthykins!" Link called out in a bell-like voice, at which Marth visibly flinched before increasing his pace to a frantic shuffle. Within moments, the prince was gone and Link and Zelda were free to move on their way in fits of laughter.

The whole encounter had lifted Link's spirits considerably, and he was still looking absolutely delighted by the exchange by the time they reached their destination at the far wing of the castle.

"It's about time," the captain huffed from his spot by the wall, looking somewhat grumpy as the two made their way over. "King Daedalus has been waiting for you to start; I'll go inform him that you're here."

Zelda went to follow him, but Link's hand catching her wrist caused her to stop. She turned back in surprise, expecting Link to say something, but instead he only drew her in close to face him, a tender smile on his face. She opened her mouth to speak, intending to argue that they shouldn't dawdle, but his fingers rising to brush her cheek seemed to wipe all recollection of the thought away. With a shy smile that mirrored his own, Zelda leaned forward and slowly let her eyes drop. Link closed the remaining gap between them and brushed his lips softly against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist as he did so. They stayed like that for a short time, content to let the tender moment linger until they slowly drew apart. As they did so, Link's palms gently came to rest on either side of Zelda's face.

"Do you remember what I promised you?" he asked, voice low and airy as he gazed at her.

"Which one?" she laughed lightly, recollecting the hundreds of promises he'd made to her over their lifetime.

"To take you on a journey across Hyrule," he added, smirking as he tucked a deviating curl back into place behind her ear. "It's something you've always dreamed of, right?" Zelda drew back slightly to stare up at him, wide-eyed and searching as she noted the growing smile on his face. "I asked your father. He's given us permission to travel the kingdom, and we can leave as soon as you'd like." Zelda couldn't help but look incredulous.

"B-But – h-how…?" The princess couldn't quite fathom the thought of her father approving of such a plan.

"I pitched it as a peace-keeping mission for Hyrule, to check in at all the major outlets to see how everyone is doing. He knows that's right up your alley." Zelda quirked a knowing brow at the man, a sly smile forming on her lips as she did so.

"Not mentioning a word about your promise, of course."

"Of course," he grinned back. Their laughter was interrupted by the captain's reappearance a moment later as he emerged from behind a veiled curtain at the end of the hall. He beckoned them forward quickly before disappearing once again behind the cloth and out onto the balcony beyond. The Hylian pair quickly made towards the veranda, the excited chatter of people in the square below growing steadily louder. This time it was Zelda who stopped first as they reached the veiled archway.

"Do you remember what I told you long ago?" Zelda mused, cupping Link's trembling hand in her own as the other lifted to rest against the curtains. Link threw her an inquisitive glance and looked terribly confused as he tried to pinpoint a specific point in time from the thousands of talks Zelda had given him over the years. The woman was a walking library, after all.

"Courage is not the absence of fear," she began, her eyes sparkling as realization dawned on Link's face, "but rather the overcoming of it. It's not something one is born with. Those with the potential for courage-"

"-make the decision to act in spite of their fears," Link finished. Zelda beamed as she squeezed his hand encouragingly, and he felt an immediate glow begin to emanate from the back of his left palm.

"You've more than proven your potential, Link. You're ready for this."

"You're right. Thanks, Zel." He squeezed her hand in return, giving the princess one last grin before straightening up to face the draped archway before him. Zelda nodded and slowly drew back the veil, bringing in a flood of sunlight and cheers from the world beyond. Link paused one final moment to take a deep breath and set his resolve, then stepped out behind the golden-haired woman onto the balcony outside.

It would be the first step of many towards a lasting reign of peace and prosperity in Hyrule.

* * *

HOKEY GEEBIES!

You guys, we made it! We actually did it! AHHHH! Over four years of writing and plotting to finally arrive at this moment!

I wasn't quite sure about this ending though, haha - I kind of rushed it, so it may need some reworking. But what do you think?! Is there anything you thought was missing or details you'd have liked to be included? I tried to put in some shout-outs to earlier chapter events, so hopefully that was a treat for some of you.

What else can I say? It's been an amazing journey, and all of my readers and reviewers have made my first delve into fanfiction such a positive one. I hope I can come back again soon, but until then, thank you again for everything! I hope that you've enjoyed this journey as well!


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